Will Marshall
Opening the evening is stayMellow, who makes a daring gambit in opening with a ballad. It’s only his fourth or so gig – as he admits – and there’s an endearing naivety and youthful exuberance on display through the set. He’s only got two songs out so far with a third on the way, freely admitting that there may be ups and downs and he’ll “try not to fuck it up too much.” With the self-deprecation and despite some nerves, it’s a mellow set worthy of the moniker, and he shows some promise with his Midwest emo meets indie meets pop punk sound. The crowd are very receptive to it, clapping when asked in slower moments, cheering and gleefully heckling “you’re doing a cracking job!” after the second song. It’s clear that this is very early days for him but this only endear him more, as does his clear love of being a crowd pleaser, including downing his pint after responding to a shout of “down it” with “I’ll down it if you do the chant”, which of course people are only too happy to oblige. You couldn’t ask much more for an emerging artist and surely there’ll be people heading to streaming platforms after to listen to his two currently released songs.
Headliners Yours Truly walk on to devoted cheers before they launch immediately into ‘Ghost’ from their debut album Self Care, following it up with a rousing ‘Circles’. The four piece command the stage with ease, vocalist Mikaila Delgado gliding across such a small space effortlessly. ‘Funeral Home’ feels even more poignant, its ode to family rarely seen that still expect things to be normal taking on a new significance given the past couple of years. Drummer Bradley Cronan and guitarist Teddie Winder-Haron escape the stage during ‘Undersize’, with Mikaila jibing “can’t even sit down for three minutes”. The intimate setting lends itself well, with a rapport established between the band and crowd that feels like friends having a tongue in cheek bicker more than a band talking at fans. ‘Siamese Souls’ elicits a huge singalong while ‘Composure’ sees the first stage dives and crowdsurfing which the band revel in, while triple checking they’re okay when people stumble briefly. ‘Walk Over My Grave’ is an easy highlight in a set chock full of them with so many stage dives the band are clearly overawed. A rogue punter grumbling about some songs not being played or a short set does suck some energy from the room but it’s swiftly rescued by a reassurance they’ll be back next year. ‘High Hopes’ brings the energy sky high yet again with a pit, dives and more; the love they have for their fans is abundantly clear with Mikaila frequently checking they’re okay after a dive, either their own or someone else’s. It’s a stirring display, especially as she enters the crowd for a soaring rendition of ‘Heartsleeve’ to close their set. The energy has been palpable all night; this is a band that adores their fans and that energy is repaid in full, the intimate setting only serving to further underscore this two-way exchange of admiration and revelry.
