Sophie Lloyd performed in front of 82,000 people at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final last weekend.
On Saturday (September 27), the virtuoso guitarist, known for her online shred covers and stint in Machine Gun Kelly’s band, took to the field at London’s Twickenham Stadium before the rugby union game between Canada and England.
She played a medley of tracks by herself, including her original song Battleground, Bon Jovi classic Livin’ On A Prayer and the Black Eyed Peas single Pump It. Watch the full, near-five-minute performance below.
"This was honestly one of the proudest moments of my life," Lloyd tells Metal Hammer. "I was so honoured that the team behind the World Cup trusted me to take their vision into my hands and create something new. I loved the song choices and had the best time composing the arrangement.
"Walking onto that pitch, I could really feel the support of everyone there, it was such a powerful moment of unity. Rock and roll has a way of bringing people together, and I’ll never forget the sound of 82,000 people singing Livin’ on a Prayer back at me.
"The whole day felt bigger than music or sport; it was about women showing strength, power and unity on a global stage. It was incredibly empowering, and I’m beyond honoured to have been part of it. Massive respect to every player who left it all out on the pitch, and huge congratulations to the Red Roses for making history and bringing the cup home."
Lloyd has been uploading shred covers to YouTube since 2012 and currently boasts more than 1.25 million subscribers. She joined Machine Gun Kelly’s band in 2022, taking part in his Mainstream Sellout tour to promote the rapper’s pop-punk album of the same name.
In 2023, Lloyd released the albums Shred Vol. 1 and Imposter Syndrome. Shred Vol. 1 was a compilation of guitar covers, whereas Imposter Syndrome was composed of original material and featured multiple guest singers, including Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, Trivium’s Matt Heafy and Atreyu’s Brandon Saller.
Lloyd played her first solo show at The Underworld in London in October 2024 and also performed at the Whisky A Go Go club in Los Angeles in January. The guitarist will return to the UK for two tours in October 2025 and January 2026. See dates and details via her website.
