Powerhouse musician girli took to the stage for an evening of talent and fundraising for the London charity War Child UK.
girli, also known as Milly Toomey, was the first of three performances for the Day of the Girl concerts put on by War Child UK across different venues this October.
The Day of the Girl campaign put on events to stand with and show support to women and girls around the world living through conflict.
Feedy Frizzi, music projects and events manager for War Child UK said: “We are normally the first charity that gets there as soon as we can in a war zone and the last ones to leave.”
The Charity share that gender inequalities have soared to alarming levels in areas affected by crisis with females suffering 95% of all sexual violence and are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school.
War Child UK raised £10,000 through tickets, donations and merchandise sales on October 9 alone.
This money will support the charity’s work to provide mental health support, promote women’s rights and ensure access to health care.
London-born and bred, musician girli fuses lyrical storytelling with her social commentary on the LGBTQIA+ community.
Her stage name comes from abandoning gendered stereotypes and reclaiming a word that some believe labels femininity in a negative light.
Frizzi said: “She’s an absolute force of nature and she is authentic, which is a word that is used a lot nowadays, but you can really feel it.”
Her music and lyricism aim to be honest, pushing a fresh pop sound that encourages listeners to be unapologetically themselves.
The stage was set with hung clothing items belonging to girli, such as bras, pants, socks and tops, hung off of mic stands, guitars and the venue speakers.
Opening her hour-long set girli said: “Welcome to my bedroom. None of you bitches are taking my socks.
“These are my actual clothes so seriously please don’t take them.”
Pink and green hues flooded the space reflecting off the glitter ball and fans faces in the audience, as they embraced her sound and lyrics.
Prior to performing her 2022 single I Really F**ked it Up the artist said: “Children never start wars but they are always the ones who get affected by war.”
The statement was followed by comments addressing recent discourse about the St George’s Flag and conversations about immigration, demanding the crowd to channel that rage into their reception of the song.
girli has been described by Frizzi from War Child UK as a socially conscious artist who is happy to use her platform to shine a light on girls and women affected by war around the world.
To outline the connection between artist selection for the campaign, Frizzi said: “It’s a labour of love really, because we feel this relationship with these artists is a community, they align with our values.”
The artist debuted her new single Better Undressed for the crowd, and concluded by thanking everybody and encouraging donations as she left the stage.
This performance from girli was followed by others over the weekend from English Teacher, in Liverpool, and Katy J Pearson, in Soho, as part of the fundraising.
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