A Formby singer managed to see off competition from the Arctic Monkeys during Saturday night's Brit Awards.
Rhian Teasdale, the lead singer of indie band Wet Leg, recreated a famous speech from the Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner after her band swept home with two BRIT awards. Wet Leg beat the Arctic Monkeys to Group of the Year.
Lead vocalist Rhian, who moved from Merseyside to the Isle of Wight when she was eight years old, is a founder member of the band which won Best New Artist and Group of the Year, at the 2023 awards. They also performed their breakout single Chaise Longue live at the ceremony.
After winning the Best New Artist award, Rhian recited the words of the fellow indie musician who made the legendary speech after picking up Best British Album in 2014. In a defiant celebration of the genre's popularity, she said: “That rock’n’roll, hey? That rock’n’roll. It just won’t go away. It might hibernate from time to time and sink back into the swamp.”
READ MORE: How to look at your TikTok history and see every video you've watched
Rhian went onto praise the work of her band and the fellow women who worked with them throughout the past year. She said: “It can feel like such a boys club thing. I just want to thank all of the women who worked on the whole production."
She added: "It is a team of women so I really want to shout them out." These comments came amid backlash after no woman was nominated for Best Artist this year after the decision to make the award gender neutral.
Rhian spoke out against this decision, fearing it could "tarnish the reputation of the Brit Awards".
Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, she said: "It's not just about women in bands. It's about all women in the industry. It's not that hard. There are so many women making really excellent music. So… it starts at the top, doesn't it?"
It was a memorable night for Wet Leg. In their live performance, they were joined by Morris dancers and a giant owl.
It's been an incredible eighteen months for Wet Leg after Chaise Longue became a smash hit. The band, co-founded by Rhian and Hester Chambers, have been supporting acts for Harry Styles during his latest UK tour and also picked up Best Alternative Music Album at the 2023 Grammys.
They will be performing later this year at Coachella and the Reading and Leeds Festivals and are special guests of Pulp at their comeback gig in London’s Finsbury Park.
Discover, learn, grow. We are Curiously. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
READ NEXT:
