Last night, I had the privilege of listening to three live bands, each of which displayed their distinctive musical prowess, and love of performing, with the genre changing from act to act; keeping gig-goers on their toes.
Lily Clarke:
The first support act, Lily Clarke and co, pulled us into an ethereal and cozy atmosphere; that was amplified due to being around supportive friends and family, all of whom were excited and enthralled to watch the band play.
The five-piece band, consisting of Lily, Sam, George, Harrison and Poppy, began their set with the song ‘Overdue’, a soft yet entrancing opening, which was a common theme throughout their performance.
Halfway through their set, for a few of their songs, the group switched seamlessly into a two-piece, consisting of Lily on guitar and George on piano (an instrument I am always delighted to see played live), which created a more intimate performance, fueled by the gentle swaying of the crowd.
With their closing song ‘The City’, Lily and co displayed a wonderful showing of talent, held up by the band’s soft melodies and soothing vocals.
Coffee:
A five-piece from Telford, Coffee started off their set with an energetic cover of the timeless ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ by the Arctic Monkeys; which helped the crowd to quickly ease into the tonal shift of the second supporting act.
Starting off, the band had a near nervous energy that was soon extinguished once they began to play their own music. The group charmingly plugged their new EP ‘222’ and lead us into a fast-paced rock experience, filled with an evident, bubbly energy.
Coffee’s music reminded me, in the best way, of the first Twilight, with their modern day take on gothic alternative music. My nostalgia for Twilight, provided by the band’s music, was pulled to the forefront with their captivating cover of Paramore’s ‘The Only Exception.’ Before this, however, tragedy struck as a string broke on one of the electric guitars, despite this, the group were able to coherently continue the rest of their set – albeit apologetically.
Coffee, were able to confidently change the mood of the crowd from the previous act, with their mix of covers and own latest music that they were more than excited to share with those in attendance.
The Family Rain:
The Family Rain’s crowd was supported by die-hard fans, who knew and loved every word the band had to sing. The usually three-piece band from Bath (though this time there was a fourth member), comfortably slinked into a groove that displayed their eagerness to play, shown by how easily they began to perform, their first song of the night being ‘Every So Often.’
To quote lead singer Ollie Walter, their set consisted of “new shit and old shit” much to the delight of the crowd, who jumped, and head banged enthusiastically. The Family Rain had a confident demeanor on stage, with Ollie often taking swigs of his Corona throughout the set, giving the venue a relaxed and comfortable vibe. Their stage presence made them extremely likeable to me, their matching attire a bonus.
The rapport between the band and their dedicated fans was shown throughout, often going out of their way to speak to them. The lead’s mic was offered to two fans at the front, and they also played a song requested by a fan who had shown up at a previous show. How a band treats their fans is especially important, and it is clear The Family Rain appreciates them dearly.
The lively rock music was pleasant and consistent throughout their set, allowing fans old or new to dance along, this was helped by how happy the band were to play. The set closed with their most popular song ‘Trust Me… I’m A Genius.’