Festivals Mirrors 2016 29th October 2016

Unsurprisingly, Hackney is buzzing with the sound of music as the second edition of Mirrors gets ready to kick off. Following on from last year’s inaugural Halloween bash, 2016’s leg of the event promises to be bigger – quite literally, with more venues taking part this year – and more jam-packed full of bands.

By the time that Babeheaven take to the stage, Oslo is packed out. Led by the mesmerising vocals of Nancy Anderson, the band waste little time in casting a hazy spell upon the crowd. Their trip-hop inflected efforts are both delicate and bold – with their gorgeous ‘Heaven’ getting an early airing - and they provide a rather atmospheric start to a night that’s guaranteed to get much more chaotic.

Glittering brilliantly, the Moth Club - a new addition to Mirrors’ list of venues for this year’s event, and DIY’s own hub for the evening - is another treasure trove of music tonight. Drawing to the close of their first UK tour, Hoops are a brilliant tangle of lazy summer pop and shimmering guitars that light up the room on a cold London evening. Meanwhile, back over the road at Oslo, there’s an honest brilliance to the tales of normal life that Martha tell that’s infectious. The Pity Me pop punks may be rough around the edges, but therein lies their charm; tracks like ‘Precarious (Supermarket Song)’ – ‘I’m like an unexpected item in your bagging area’ is still an incredible lyric - are both relatable and anthemic in their own measure, making their set one of the stand-outs of today.

There’s a real buzz around Miya Folick right now, and from her appearance at the Moth Club this evening, it’s easy to see why. There are few airs and graces to the singer, who gleefully looks around at the glitter-covered walls on the venue, while warbling an impromptu rendition of The Lion King’s infamous ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. Fun, insatiable and infectious, her set proves her as a real star in the making.