ON FIRE - YONAKA, THE NINTH WAVE, TILLIE @ The Wardrobe Leeds 5.6.19 | Gig Review

Hey gang,

Today I have the absolute pleasure of writing about one of the most phenomenal shows I've ever seen in Leeds; British four-piece Yonaka, and their fierce support acts, The Ninth Wave and Tillie, at The Wardrobe in June.

This show was turned up to full from the minute the first act walked on to the stage and it only got louder throughout the night. I was certain there was going to be a riot by the end of the show or that we'd break the venue, the sold out space of The Wardrobe hardly seeming to contain the energy in the room. If you weren't at this show, I'm not going to lie, you missed an unreal night of awesome new music, next level performances and an insane circle pit.

I discovered Yonaka back in November when I returned from Canada and was looking for some new music to reignite that side of me. Yonaka were an instant obsession for me; fierce female lead, infectiously good lyrics and solid anthems. They've just released their debut album, 'Don't Wait Till Tomorrow', which is every bit as fully charged as it promised to be. For a debut album, it sets a new bar for all upcoming artists to aspire to. It's got grit, guts and gravity; it clearly and decisively defines Yonaka's identity and places them in league beyond their scale and reputation. If you haven't heard it yet, I promise you it will be the best thing you've done this year so far. Do it for you.

As it serendipitously turned out, I had a connection to Yonaka's drummer, Rob, who kindly got me on the guest list for the Leeds show of their UK tour, to mark 'Don't Wait Till Tomorrow's' release. Their Leeds show had sold out, as had most of their others, so I was so grateful to get in. Of course I'm also a huge fan of The Ninth Wave, so when I heard they were supporting I was even more sure this gig was going to be epic.

REVIEW

TILLIE

Tillie was the only act of the night I hadn't previously heard of, but that didn't matter a single bit once she took to the stage and started playing. She had such a cool look, living in LA she had that alt-rock effortlessly cool and gutsy attitude about her; dipped blue hair, neon green shirt, big boots and fishnets.

She opened the night with some awesome tracks including her singles 'Faith' and 'Loud Mouth', playing, dancing and signing like she was having the time of her life. Tillie's sound was a balance of alt-pop and rock; it was authentic, original and awesome. Her energy and attitude won over the room in minutes and she made a great impression on the crowd. She was so pumped to be playing and commented on the spirit of Northern crowds at gigs, a reputation which all of us Leeds-based fans were happy to live up to, showing Tillie how much we enjoyed her set.

I loved the stories Tillie told us about her songs. She introduced her sarky single 'Mood Swings' with a story about someone telling you chill out when you're worked up and it's the last thing you want to hear. The more moving and rallying story for the women in the room, was for a self-admitted 'emo' track called 'Whole Wide World'. Tillie told us how an ex-boyfriend stole her intellectual property, some songs she was writing, and how as women we're told to rise above it and let it go, even when really shitty things happen to us. It's always up to us to be the bigger person, even against injustice. Her lyrics were an all to accurate reflection of how we're told to behave as women, even in situations when we're the victims; "You're too emotional, you just wanna cry, come on be tough just like one of the guys". Her performance was stripped back and raw, demonstrating a great range in her performance skills and her ability to captivate a crowd.

Tillie was truly an awesome opening act and I'm now a committed fan of her music. She told us she was about to start recording an album and I seriously hope she comes back to the UK when she's finished it. I caught her after the show to tell her how much I enjoyed her performance and she was so lovely and happy to chat to a long line of new fans wanting to meet her. If you're looking for a new girl crush with a great style, awesome tracks and a rebel attitude, Tillie's your girl.


THE NINTH WAVE

Next up was a band I have not stopped raving about since I first discovered them; the insanely-talented four-piece, The Ninth Wave. They too have been generating a huge wave of hype around their upcoming debut album, 'Infancy', the first half of which they have released, the second half set to come out later this year. With a sound so singular and exhilarating, and a spirit so visionary and dauntless, their talent and showmanship exceeds both their reputation and their level. This was the third time I'd seen them live and I swear they only take in that which makes them stronger.

They opened with their latest single, 'This Broken Design', yet another promise that their album will be unparalleled and immortal. Next they played some of their most-loved singles, my personal favourite, the anthem that is 'New Kind of Ego', and 'Sometimes The Silence Is Sweeter'. The 80s era was hugely influential in their early years of songwriting, but The Ninth Wave have perfectly captured the essence of their icon's whilst forming an identity of their own, creating something original and transcendent.

They played two of their new tracks from 'Infancy: Part 1', 'Half Pure' and 'Used To Be Yours'. Their music alone is bewitching, their performances are intoxicating. Haydn and Millie are incredible frontmen, they play with such intensity and such spirit that they can hypnotise an audience. They love invading the crowd as well, encroaching on the crowd's space and being face to face with their audience to unnerve them and extend their presence in the room. Millie used the stage barrier as her platform for the second verse of 'Used To Be Yours', staring out every member of the crowd and singing right into the eyes of front row. The version they released as a single is quite subdued, (by The Ninth Wave's standards), but the arrangement they performed this time Millie filled with ferocity and fervour. Haydn was every bit as eccentric as usual, taking the lead in their closing tracks, 'Reformation', and their live favourite, 'Swallow Me', for a climatic finish.

The Ninth Wave are honestly one of the only artists in the industry today who I believe have a sound totally incomparable to anyone else; timeless, unorthodox and nothing short of genius. Every element of their music is worthy of an act beyond their standing, their songwriting so ahead of it's time. I could not implore you enough to check them out, their music is enthralling and entirely original, their live performances a show never to be missed.


YONAKA

It's been a long time since I've seen two support acts charge an audience to such a perfect level in anticipation for a headline act at a gig. By the time Yonaka were due on stage, the crowd was shaking in eagerness for the final act of the night. When Yonaka stepped out on to the stage, both band and crowd were ready to tear the roof to the ground.

Yonaka gave this show absolutely everything their combined bodies could possibly hold from the very first lyric. They opened with 'Bad Company', the echoing of 'Oh oh, Oh oh' teasing an already anxiously awaiting crowd, then when Theresa launched into the chorus with 'Mother, can you help me?' the room was electrified. Yonaka was dancing fiercely around the stage and the crowd were going crazy in response. 'Awake' and 'Creature' followed and so the pace only accelerated. Yonaka have an arsenal of high-powered and fiery tracks from their debut album and early EPs to fuel their setlist. This was a taster, they were only just warming up.

Their killer track 'Lose Our Heads' had the crowd throwing themselves around the room. The circle pit seemed to take up the entire lower floor of The Wardrobe, while Theresa, George and Alex were just as reckless on stage. Before they played 'Don't Wait Till Tomorrow', Theresa gave a speech about how we all go through shit at some point in our lives, but we're not alone. The crowd went mad for it and the chaos continued. Theresa's voice was unstoppable; she sang with such spirit all night and did such an amazing job of every song, never dropping the ball once even in their gutsiest numbers. The boys were also on fire; Rob was killing it on the drums while Alex and George gave some of the most energetic, instrument-playing performances I've ever seen. The energy of the entire band made for a formidable show on stage, I don't think they stopped moving for a second, totally determined to give the crowd the best show they could wish for.

To give the crowd a very brief breather, Rob and Alex left the stage for moment, whilst Theresa and George performed a beautiful acoustic arrangement of 'Guilty'. Theresa's voice was in the spotlight in this stripped back setting, but effortlessly she killed it. The arrangement gave the track a whole new temperament and turned it into a pleading and heartfelt ballad, rather than the impassioned rock track from their album. 

Turning the voltage up once again, Yonaka launched into their feisty and taunting track 'Teach Me To Fight' and the crowd went wild. In the same fiery spirit, the audience were slam-dancing around the floor and having the time of their lives. Yonaka, whilst playing their asses off, were throwing themselves around the stage; George and Alex were head-banging like they were possessed whilst Theresa put up her fists with a look in her eye as if she was ready to singlehandedly take over the world.

A genius choice of closing tracks, Yonaka finished their set with 'Rockstar' and 'Fired Up', at which point the full intensity of their energy was unleashed and they truly set the place ON FIRE. 'Fired Up' is one of my favourite Yonaka tracks; Rob's drum beat gets into your bones and the lyrics are intoxicating. It's the perfect track to let out all your frustration and dance like a maniac to. The crowd lost their shit and half the audience was top of each others shoulders, singing their hearts out while madness ensued beneath them. It was anarchy of the best and purest kind. During 'Fired Up', George invaded the crowd with his guitar and crashed around in the middle of the room, before surging back over the crowd to rejoin the band on stage. To sing the bridge, Theresa cam down to the barrier and was nearly met with a foot to the face as a crowd surfer got thrown towards her. She returned to the stage and crashed her arms around whilst the boys were vaulting about the stage. I caught it pretty well on my Instagram story so check out my 'Music' highlights to see the full extent of the madness. It was the highest moment you could possibly hope to end a show on; the entire night had been set to full throttle and I was in awe of how unreal and insane a gig it was. Yonaka were on fire and the whole night was seriously lit.

Thank you so much to Rob for getting me into the show, I knew I was in for a good night but I could not have anticipated it being that much of a riot. A huge congratulations to Tillie, The Ninth Wave and Yonaka for what was a legendary tour and for selling out nearly all their venues. You were each of you brilliant and I cannot wait to see you guys live again following the release of more of your amazing music. Good luck and THANK YOU.

Until next time everyone,

Holly


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Backstage With Jordan Shearer - NEON WALTZ @ Headrow House, Leeds - 26.03.19 | Interview + Review

Hi gang,

I've got such a treat for you all today; I've got not only a rock solid gig to tell you about, but an interview with the frontman himself!

I'm so excited to be sharing with you the hypnotic tunes of Neon Waltz, a Scottish quartet with a sound so their own it rejects all ideas of modern conformity. I was very kindly offered the chance to see the boys play in Leeds last month by their management, Ignition Records, as they neared the end of their UK tour.

I've actually covered Neon Waltz before, if any of you remember, for the release of their poignant EP, 'Bring Me To Light'. It was upon my first hearing of 'Bring Me To Light' that kick-started my love of the boys' kaleidoscopic rock. Their sound captures a perfect symmetry of chaos and calm; with melodies that seem to echo fairground daydreams whilst their lyrics reflect an experienced realism. I was unfortunately in Canada at the time so was unable to attend a show, but a year later the opportunity finally presented itself and the boys effortlessly outshone all my expectations and delivered a beautifully transfixing show.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Jordan, Neon Waltz's frontman, before the show, who very kindly let me pick his brain about the origins of the band and all the elements that accumulated to form the charming enigma that is Neon Waltz. Jordan was so easy to talk to and such a genuine guy that he made my job an absolute breeze and we had a lovely chat which you can all read below...

INTERVIEW

H: I love your music but I find it kind of hard to place; it’s kind of Britpop-esque but more poppy, what would you say your influences are?

J: We find it hard to place as well, I’ve been asked this question a million times but I’ve never been able to give a definitive answer. I don’t really hear much Britpop in it.

H: Not any more, you’ve got an older sound to it now

J: Aye, its kind of an easy comparison to make cause we’re on the same management as Oasis and Noel Gallagher. I think a lot of people don’t know how to place it so they just think of our management and say "we’ll go that way", I don’t know. It’s not something I really hear, we’ve got big choruses and stuff so maybe thats got something to do with it. But bands that we love are like a lot of American bands like The Walkmen and The National. A band that we all love, an old band are The Band, they’re actually Canadian.

H: I don’t think I know them (I've since researched them and I do know a number of their songs)

J: You should listen to them, they’re amazing. There’s a film that we all kind of bonded over, the point that basically started the band, and Martin Scorsese directed it, its called ‘The Last Waltz’ and its about The Band and it’s their last ever gig. They’re amazing and thats something that we’ve collectively got a love for. Again, I find it hard to pin down what category we fit into so when anyones asks me in the street “what sort of band are you?” I just kind of say indie, psychedelic.

H: Yeah indie is what I think I went with last time cause I couldn’t place it, but you know that’s a good thing because you have your identity and you don’t want to be compared to anyone else.

J: Exactly and I think a lot of its to do with where we’re from as well, cause we’re from John O’Groats…

H: Yeah I was going to ask how you got into music being so far away from any sort of music hubs

J: We’re like the few people who are good at music *laughs* no there’s a lot of people good at music in John O’Groats but there’s so few people that we were the ones who were good at writing music, playing music but liked the same kind of music as well. We were all mates so we just started a band. There’s no like scene or anything so I think a lot of the time, take a city, say Glasgow, there’s a lot of bands in any city that sound similar and it’s because they’re all part of a scene. Whereas we’ve never had a scene so we’ve never been, kind of forced to sound like anyone else, we’ve just written tunes that we thought were good. We never thought that if we write like this, or if our songs sound like this, we’ll get in this little scene and then we’ll play with these bands. That just never occurred for us and I think that helped us out, it feels annoying when you’re starting out but it’s good.

 H: It is good though because it gives you that sense of individuality

J: Just freedom as well you know…I don’t want to seem like I’m having a go either, if we came from Leeds we’d probably sound like a load of other bands from Leeds. We’re lucky enough I guess to come from a place where there was no other bands, you know what I mean? It was totally organic.

H: Do you have a lot of support in your hometown as well?

J: Aye yeah, its mad. I think they think we’re more famous than we are

H: I mean that’s not a bad thing

J: No, its good. But we’ll go on a night out, and its one of those places where everyone knows everyone as well, you went to school with half of the people you see out, and you might not have been mates with them at school, and you go ‘oh its that guy I remember from school’ and they’ll come up to you like ‘Jordan! Fucking Neon Waltz’ you’re like ‘aye how’s it going’ they’ve got like a job offshore or something, where they make ridiculous amounts of money, and they’ll be like ‘you want a pint’ and I’ll be like ‘aye ok I’ll have a pint of Fosters’ and they’ll go ‘aye you should be buying me fucking pints you’re rich now’ I’m like ‘rich? I’m fucking skint as a bean’ and you know its just cause they don’t kind of know the way that the music industry works and they think we’re rich cause we’ve played with Noel Gallagher and stuff but far from it. If I had a job at Tesco I’d be better off than I am now *laughs*.

H: So you put out a new song last week, ‘Friends Who Lost Control’, does that mean there’s more music on the way?

J: Yeah pretty much, its the start of a steady stream of new music now

H: An album?

J: I think we’re just gonna play it a couple of tunes at a time. Instead of just leaving a big gap and then releasing an album, we’re just gonna steadily increase the interest. We’ve not released much since the debut album came out, so I think you kind of need to think logically. We’re not at the size yet where we can just release an album and everyone will be so interested, you have to build everyone back up to that kind of stage. We’re gonna be in the studio again soon after this tour.

H: And how are you enjoying the tour so far?

J: It’s been brilliant, its been like a proper step up. It’s hard to judge when you’re at home, especially in fucking John O’Groats, you kind of lose sight of what stage your bands at when you’ve not toured for a while. It’s been like, pretty much in every city a mad change, every venue been sold out and it’s been rammed, its good.

H: How much do you think your music has changed throughout your career, from ‘Strange Hymns’ till now?

J: We’re more guitar based now when we’re writing because for ‘Strange Hymns’ we had six members who would write all our songs together. Since then, our bass players left and our keys players taken a bit of a hiatus, just for life reasons, but there’s four of us now; me, two guitarists, Jamie and Kevin, and drummer, Darren. So we write between the four of us now, and I play bass and a bit of keys when we write, and Darren plays a bit of keys when we write as well. Its a lot more guitar driven, so we write songs the four of us, and if there’s a little bit that we think would add to a song, little bit of keys we add it, whereas before it was a main part of the tune. Its worked well so far anyway so we’re happy to keep going just as far as we can. If Liam, the keys player, ever has the opportunity to come back it’ll be sort of the way it was. You just have to adapt to certain situations and we’re good enough that we can do it a slightly different way.

H: What inspires the stories you tell in your songs, what makes you want to sit down and write music?

J: It’s kind of weird, the way that I write a song, the chords always come first and then I’ll just be singing stuff that doesn’t make sense but I’ll have a melody. I’ll find what the melody is and then I’ll just be singing fucking nonsense. Then I’ll listen back to it and there’s always one line that sits really well and must be something thats in my subconscious and then I think ‘thats what that means’ and then I write it, I keep that line in and then I write the song about whatever it is. So it’s always something quite personal you know, it sounds really wanky this *laughs* but you know what I mean, there’s something lingering in my head that comes out when I just sing nonsense. Well for me anyway, if I ever try sit down and write a song and think ‘right I’m gonna write about this’, it always comes out fucking shit. Its the wankiest thing I’ve ever said, but it has to come from the heart, you know? and if you’re just rambling nonsense, and one little line comes out that totally makes sense and works as a good line, find it and then thats what you build the song around.

H: What can we expect from you guys going forward now?

J: Yeah I mean obviously the main plan for any band is to be as big as they can be. [In the] immediate future, we’ll just keep releasing more music and it’ll just keep going gradually. When we started I think people expected us to be massive straight away, and I think we expected that as well cause you know everyone was telling us, like record labels and stuff. But I’m actually glad it didn’t work that way because we weren’t ready for it, and its just gone gradually up. We’re quite happy to just play the long game and keep gradually growing, and that’s the way its been for like the last three years so I’m happy for it to keep going that way.


REVIEW

GLASSHEADS

First up were newcomers to the Leeds scene, GLASSHEADS, a post-rock six piece who met at Leeds College of Music and are getting ready to release their debut EP. This was the boys first ever show and they did a pretty good job of it. Their tracks were a little more on the compositional side, with guitar instrumentals and a layer of keys faintly peppering their songs. The music was emotive, akin to a lullaby in tempo and in sentiment. With the release of their first EP coming up I think we'll see them making their way round the Leeds circuit fairly soon.


THE HARRIETS

Next up were The Harriets, who had some great numbers up their sleeves! With a much more lively energy and rock'n'roll feel, they loosened up the crowd and encouraged a little dancing. They opened with a cool track called 'Cafe Disco' and then a uplifting number called 'Have Fun In Your Work Place' which let us know from the off that these guys liked to have a little fun and a jest. They had a great attitude about them, were clearly awesome guitar players and imaginative lyricists. They followed with a track called 'Television' which had a little more grit about it and a cut-the-shit message about popular culture. They finished with their latest single, titled 'Harry', which ached for you to dance with it and climaxes with a great kick at the end. They were talented and having such a fun time on stage that I reckon these boys could be an interesting one to watch.


NEON WALTZ

And then came the Waltzers. These boys were on fire, Jordan was completely accurate when he said  that things had stepped up a notch. I hadn't seen them play before, but they definitely played at the level of the band they the potential to become. The show was spot on; their presence, tone and live ability were perfect, the stage their rightful home. They started with a few early songs, including 'Sundial' and 'Stranger Things', which pulled the audience into the remote but beautifully vivid soundspace that we know to be Neon Waltz. Their sound is definitely psychedelic, it takes hold of you when you hear it live and seems to take you away into a dream. To quote Jordan; "We're down a G string and we're still fucking magic".

They performed a stripped-back arrangement of their introspective and gorgeous track 'When I Fall Asleep', which was the highlight of the show for me, as its my favourite song of theirs for it's blunt sincerity. They continued with their latest single, 'Friends Who Lost Control', which roused the audience and bolstered the energy in the room with its unrelenting beat and bold chorus. It got everyone dancing and when followed with the freedom filled, coming-of-age track, 'Bring Me To Light', they lit up the room. There's a maturity and touch of cynicism in their lyrics, but its balanced perfectly with colourful, spirited melodies that seem to echo and encourage a sense of youthful optimism. Their completely singular sound was an honest joy to hear live.

The boys of course performed their fantastic song, 'Dreamers', which had everyone in the room signing the principal lyric; "You should do what you love while you can" right back at them. We were all there because we share a love of good music, and it was with a total sense of camaraderie that we belted out the lyrics to a song that perfectly surmises the heart of Neon Waltz.

The lads closed the show with two singles from their first album, 'Heavy Heartless' and 'Perfect Frame', which brought the atmosphere in the room to a soul-lifting high. The climatic harmonies of 'Perfect Frame' took us all to the seashore of John O'Groats, as if we were running with the boys along the coastline, chasing the last shining light of the day. It rings with freedom and fearlessness that you want to capture, which is what makes it the phenomenal song that it is.

Neon Waltz's music is so engaging because there's something about their lyrics and melodies that resonates so genuinely with people, that it inspires a true love their sound. Their keen and distinct identity is so refreshing to hear, compared to the sea of music on the radio that you can't even tell apart, that it makes you cherish it even more. These boys deserve all the rewards of their hard work and I can't wait for them to share with us what new music they have in the pipeline.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Ignition Records for inviting me along to the show, to Jordan for a really fun interview and to all the bands for a night of great playing. Congratulations to Neon Waltz for the success of their UK tour and good luck going back into the studio, we shall all wait here with baited breath.

See you soon,

Holly


Neon Waltz:
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The Harriets:
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GLASSHEADS:
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Holly:
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STUNNING - SEAFRET @ The Wardrobe, Leeds - 27.02.19

Hello everyone!

Today's post is a good couple of weeks late, not quite keeping up as I should be but I've had a very busy couple of weeks, working to finish a project before I started my new job last week(!), and I had another gig the night after this one, (that will be coming too), so I apologise for the late delivery but it's been a bit of a crazy few weeks!

But here we are and I've got an amazing gig to tell you about! I was very kindly granted a photo pass by Seafret to their BEAUTIFUL show at The Wardrobe in Leeds, one of the stops on their UK tour in February, and it was mesmerising. Their support acts were also incredible and the overall talent, voices and playing throughout the entire night were of such a high standard that I felt very lucky to be in that audience. It truly was a stunning show.

I've been a huge fan of Seafret since my discovery of their first album, 'Tell Me It's Real', in early 2016 which has since been one of my favourite albums of all time. The lyrics and stories are of heartbreak and first loves, perfectly accompanied by beautiful, modest arrangements with no unnecessary fuss and overproduction. Their sound comprises of elements of pop/rock, but they mainly write delicate, enchanting ballads and Jack's voice can send chills down your spine. I've often turned to their music whenever I've experienced moments of heartbreak and their songs take me back to those times every time I listen to them.

I've been dying to see them live for years and so I was thrilled to finally get into a show. The support acts, Callum Spencer and Rosborough, were unknown to me before the show but I was so impressed by their playing and songs that I'm now a solid fan of them both. 

REVIEW

CALLUM SPENCER

Opening the show was Callum Spencer; his lovely set, preparing the audience for a night of strong voices and skilful instrumentals. He was energetic, dancing around as much as he could whilst playing his guitar as he stood alone on the stage, singing his heart out. His songs were really well written and had a similar sentimentality to country music, but with more of a popular sound. He sang a new song called 'Think About It', from his new EP, also performing the title track 'Nothing But Strangers' which is infectious and upbeat. My favourite of his songs had to be 'Say It', which talks of a relationship nearing its end but the other person not being able to admit it. His music was endearing and authentic; it was so nice to see a musician singing and playing so confidently and so well without gimmicks or pretence. It was brave and it was real, a wonderful opening to the show.

ROSBOROUGH

Next up was Rosborough, an artist from Derry in Ireland, again with a humble set of only himself performing the vocals and guitar, accompanied by his drummer. Rosoborough's music was more rock and roll, again with a powerful, gritty voice and a solid, confident sound. He started his set with his fierce track 'Fall To Earth' which I've listened to so many times since, full of gumption and guitar. He had the crowd invested after just one song, continuing to play tracks about people leaving his home town, one about the stars called 'Burn Blue', and another about house parties called 'Another Lesson'. His set was full of powerful songs, genuine stories and great melodies. Rosborough also treated us to a beautiful cover of 'True Love Will Find You In The End', originally by Daniel Johnston, which he sung with such heart, the hopeful and gentle track perfectly balancing his set. It was another awesome performance and continued the line of genuinely talented and honest musicians taking the stage that night.

SEAFRET

After two impressive performances by Callum and Rosborough, Seafret walked on to the stage to a huge round of applause and played the most divine headline show. They opened with a few tracks from their first album, including 'Atlantis', which plucked at every heart string with as much precision as Harry was plucking the strings of his guitar, alongside Jack's hypnotic vocals. The boys stood alone on the stage, Jack simply using his voice and Harry choosing only either his guitar or the piano, depending on which suited each track best. The effect was a spell-binding, intimate and simply beautiful show where pure talent triumphed and the true heart of their sound transported the entire room away.

The boys performed a gorgeous arrangement of one of their latest singles, 'Can't Look Away', which was stripped back and stunning. Harry's compositional skill really shone throughout the night; his ability to write such emotive melodies, on both the guitar and piano, and to effortlessly swap between the two during the show, embellishing the melodies and timing each note perfectly to take the whole crowd's breath away. Jack's vocal performance was also stunning; Seafret's tracks are full of huge ballads and powerfully sung choruses, but Jack didn't miss a single beat. Every song was magically beautiful and I spent most of the night having forgotten I wasn't the only person in the room.

Seafret continued with their gut-punching love songs, performing breath-taking renditions of 'Wildfire', 'Breathe' and 'Missing'. When you buy a ticket to a Seafret show, it is guaranteed to be a emotional night. Their lyrics are as honest, heart-wrenching and beautiful as Rupi Kaur's 'Milk and Honey' poetry collection. Jack felt the need to explain to the crowd that although he writes about heartbreak, he's not depressed as you might imagine; "I have to laugh in between songs or I'll cry *laughs* I don't just sit at home crying, it's not normal for a man to be this emotional." Having said that, he then lead on to sing three of his most tear-inducing songs; a new song 'Heartless', the classic 'Oceans' and then the brutally heartbreaking 'Tell Me It's Real', which if you survived without crying, than you're a stronger person than I! It was STUNNING! That song can break your heart all over again and their performance was enough to knock the air out of your body, it was something else! After they'd finished, a number of audience members shouted "IT'S REAL" and the boys laughed,  receiving a massive round of cheers and applause from an emotional and wholly admiring audience. They also sung their latest single, 'Loving You' which was sheer, heartfelt perfection. Honestly, it was a performance of pure, faultless beauty.

Jack and Harry finished their show with an encore of 'Bad Blood' and 'Monsters', their two more upbeat tracks off their latest EP, also named 'Monsters', as they said they needed to finish the night with something more up-lifting. Rosborough's drummer joined them on the stage to help add a bit more rhythm and oomph to their last two tracks. It was a really strong way to finish the night, giving the so far fairly silent audience, who had spent the whole night wrapped in their own memories of heartbreak and emotion, a chance to shake out their feelings and dance a little. The boys also revealed they're writing album number 2, which I, and every one else in the room, is impatiently awaiting!

Seafret transported and enthralled every single person at that sold out show, with their hypnotising serenades and stirring melodies. It was honestly such a special gig, as I imagine every one of theirs are, but it felt like such an honour to be in the room that night. As much as it brought back the shadow of former heartbreak, it was cathartic to hear those songs played live.

The night was truly such a raw and beautiful showcase of three incredibly skilled and committed acts. I loved the show so much for the simple reason that each of the artists were just that; artists. They played with such modest arrangements, no more than two instruments at a time, and still delivered three amazing performances. There was no fuss and no theatrics because there didn't need to be, true talent can stand all by itself and induce awe on a crowd. That's what Calum Spencer, Rosborough and Seafret each achieved that night.

Thank you so much to Seafret for letting me come along to the show, I am so thankful to have finally seen you guys play live. I cannot recommend their music enough and be sure to keep an ear out for their upcoming album, no doubt I'll shout about it when it's released!

See you all soon.

Holly


Callum Spencer:
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Rosborough:
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Seafret:
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