Rage Against the Misogyny – Delilah Bon Live at Brudenell Social Club

Delilah Bon describes her music as “Brat Punk”, harnessing the rhythmic elements of hip-hop and rap with the energy of nu metal to express feminine rage against misogyny, patriarchal systems and the current political climate. She uses her platform to give a voice to marginalised communities, writing lyrics that spread awareness of mental health, trans rights, and female empowerment.

She recently cancelled her 2026 US tour in protest of ICE brutality and instead announced her fundraiser gig at Brudenell Social Club on 17^th May. All proceeds from the show were donated to charities in support of families affected by ICE raids in the US: the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, The Bond Between, and the American Civil Liberties Union. The entire show was filmed to demonstrate her solidarity with her American ‘Bon Bons’, allowing them to experience the impact of her protest from afar. A few days after the show, Delilah announced on Instagram that the performance would also be released as a live album, stating, “it’s just so special and needs to be remembered as a moment in time with us all”.  

The queue for the sold-out show snaked out the doors as fans eagerly anticipated what Delilah had in store for them. A strong sense of community filled the well-renowned Leeds venue as fans who had connected on social media met for the first time and shared how they’d travelled across the UK to be there. Dedicated fans had made merchandise, including crocheted clothes and handcrafted badges to raise further funds for the chosen charities. Other fans had painted cardboard signs and began handing them out to the crowd: ‘Angry women will change the world’, ‘Rapist Nonce President’, ‘Threat Level: ORANGE’.

This collective, grassroots approach to the gig was unique, empowering, and emotional. Protest signs also made up Delilah’s stage design: ‘Trans rights are human rights’, ‘My Body My Choice My Future’, and ‘Listen to Women not Farage’, highlighting her call to action for UK fans. Throughout the set, the crowd responded to her messages with chants of ‘Fuck Trump’, ‘Fuck ICE’, and ‘Dead Men Don’t Rape’, mirroring the conventions of a protest. The event felt purposeful and urgent, a true historical marker for the fight against the system.  

Delilah Bon’s political protest echoes artists who came before her, such as Rage Against the Machine. ‘Chop Dicks’ pays homage to the hip-hop swing of Cypress Hill, and later RATM’s heavier version of ‘How I Could Just Kill a Man’. Delilah uses the lyric ‘What’s the matter is it hard to understand, That a woman doesn’t need a man’ reflecting the original: ‘Here is something you can’t understand, How I could just kill a man’. The underlying association with the darker phrase ‘kill a man’ emphasises her anger and adds power to a song about rape culture and sexual harassment. Playing the song live, they lean into the heavy bass sound of RATM and reference the band further as bassist Becky Baldwin lifts her guitar to reveal ‘NO WAR EXCEPT THE CLASS WAR’ written in black tape; a political act popularised by Tom Morello.  

The atmosphere shifts as ‘War on Women’ begins to play, the pace slows, the lights dim, and goosebumps ripple through the crowd. ‘I just wish I could reach out and love you all, Every shape, size and colour’s beautiful’. Delilah moves slowly around the stage, kneeling and taking the hands of her fans, singing the lyrics intimately to each person. Tears well up in the eyes of the band members and audience alike as raw emotion flows thick through the room. Amidst the anger, a tender moment settles amongst the venue as she speaks on the importance of abortion rights and LGBTQ+ pride. Her connection to the crowd is unparalleled as they hang onto her every word. In a room full of angry, determined, and powerful women, the fight for change is personal, hopeful and real.

She finishes the set with high energy once again, dancing onto the stage to ‘BUSH’ with a bright pink bush peeking out from under tiny denim shorts. The humorous outfit change lightens the mood and draws the focus towards female empowerment and the celebration of body hair. The crowd is lively once again, jumping and screaming the lyrics with a fierce passion. As the show concludes, the audience is left with a cocktail of emotions and a dedication to the fight.

Words by Daisy Evans