Skip to main content
A Magazine for Sheffield
Live / stage review

Red Rum Club, Academy, 26 September

707 1569939301

"This is the first night of the tour, and we wouldn't want to spend it anywhere else, Sheffield," utters Fran Doran, the lead singer of six-piece indie rock band Red Rum Club, as he addresses their adoring crowd.

Red Rum Club have progressed their way up the venue ladder over the years. Having played The Washington and Maida Vale not so long ago, they've upgraded to The Academy 2 this time round. The support came from solo artist Jamie Webster, whose first gig for two years boasted a setlist of solo material and a special Arctic Monkeys cover of 'A Certain Romance', which was very well received by the South Yorkshire crowd.

daring originality and widescreen ambition

The Scouse Americana group brought their huge sound to the stage as they opened with the emphatic 'Honey', which showcased the band's versatility with a trumpet solo at the beginning. This gives the band a sixties soul edge, as their infectious charisma and hubristic swagger dazzles the crowd for the entire set. While the band possess a justified level of self-assurance, they're clearly still humble men, as they're blown away when the crowd make a moshpit to 'Angeline'.

The title track from their critically-acclaimed debut album Matador brought more ruckus to the floor, as crowdsurfing and moshpits followed. The band's daring originality and widescreen ambition, along with their engrossing guitar lines and doughty spirit, stands them in good stead to be a huge hit.

Their last song, 'Would You Rather Be Lonely', sees around 20 audience members on stage with the Liverpool sextet, and leaves their army of fans chanting the lyrics when the band go offstage. Red Rum Club are astonishingly underrated, and if their new songs 'Kids Addicted' and 'Ballerino', which made its live debut tonight, are anything to go by the next 12 months could be career-defining for the gleaming scousers.

Daniel Atherton

Next article in issue 139

More Music

More Music