Words and photos by Alfie Dook
Things have been ramping up for music in 2025, and while there are many great tours to come in the summer, some bands haven’t waited around to treat us, most noticeably for me personally and a lot of people, has been the Circa Waves Death and Love 2025 tour.
Known for their Indie Rock tunes inspired and built upon the likes of the Strokes, the Vaccines, and Arctic Monkeys, Circa Waves made their debut in 2014, with their first single, “Stuck in my Teeth.” The quartet quickly attracted attention as they entered the scene, with even more buzz following their hit single in 2015, “T-Shirt Weather,” which coincided with the release of their debut album “Young Chasers.”
Their most successful single ever, “T-Shirt Weather,” received platinum certification and has obtained 143,000,000 streams on Spotify alone, becoming a summer and festival-time necessity. While many others and I obsess over the song, it’s important to explore and enjoy the rest of the Circa Waves discography, as you’ll be treated to a wide range of catchy and highly enjoyable songs in a versatile range of styles with no exception being their new “Death and Love, Pt.1” album.
Myself and nearly two thousand other Leeds Circa Waves fans got to experience this firsthand on the 25th of February, as the band hit their Yorkshire Leg.
Opening the night was Manchester-born and bred “Corella,” a band I’m ashamed to admit I’d not heard of before the Death and Love tour, but one it’s safe to say I’ll be keeping close attention to them from now.
Consisting of frontman Joel Smith, Ben Henderson on bass, Jack Taylor on the guitar, and James Fawcett on the drums, the Mancunian lads performed an electrifying set to the eager Yorkshire fans. While there has been an unfortunate culture of missing the opening acts for gigs in the last few years, a growing excitement and reputation have followed Corella and Peace on the Circa Waves tour, and it was nice to see a highly supportive crowd stretch to the back of the room shortly after the doors opened, much to the delight of the bands.
Corella’s 35-minute, 7-song set showed many, including myself, what they’re truly about, with a bounce, energy, and crowd interaction that cannot be taught. Most notable moments from the set for me included their performance of “Lady Messiah,” which, quite undeservingly, is one of the lesser-streamed songs on their 2024 album, “Once Upon a Weekend.” As a song, I think it truly encapsulates Corella and was beyond entertaining to see live. Towards the end of the set, lead vocalist Joel Smith also braved the mosh pit, separating the crowd and jumping in for a highly amusing spectacle, a running tradition for Joel, I’ve now learned.
It really did feel like a trailer on display by Corella of the great night attending a full gig of theirs would be. They next embark on their European tour; however, it’s not too late to see them in the UK, as they have various support and festival dates over the summer.
Following Corella was the amazing band “Peace.” The Worcester band has been around for some time now, nominated for a variety of awards and commendations by the likes of NME and the BBC over the years, showing both the success and quality of the guys. Performing their hit singles such as “Blood Shake,” “Lovesick,” “1998 (Delicious)”, and several more, they captivated the room, not allowing the energy to drop following the ending of Corella’s set. It was a set to applaud and won’t be easy to forget.
The opening acts were now finished, but it was safe to say the crowd were only just getting started, with the excitement and anticipation building and building in the O2 Academy. As the lights dimmed, many screamed out, and the cheers grew louder, followed by the classic chants of “Yorkshire” and “Here we, here we, here we f*cking go,” a standard for a Leeds crowd, and the well-deserved sign of approval in the welcome for Circa Waves.
The band entered the stage in darkness, with the noise of the audience providing for all the senses. The lights blasted red, and that classic riff and beat began, with the beauty of “Do You Wanna Talk?” to follow. A fitting introduction for the Liverpool-founded band’s performance, the lyrics “I get consumed by every single song” resonated with me, as it was pretty clear from the get-go that this would be the case for each and every one of Circa Waves’ songs this glorious Tuesday night.
What was to follow was a perfected 18-song setlist, with masterpiece after masterpiece played. I’ve seen my fair share of concerts, but the energy in O2 Academy that night had me in awe of the band. Not one person could take their eyes off the stage, aside from the moments of crowd surfing and moshing, something I was not expecting from a Circa Waves gig. I’ve followed the band through streaming for some time but was truly unaware of the antics of their crowds, it was a sight to behold, promising each and every participant and spectator the largest smiles imaginable, shared with frontman “Kieran Shudall,” guitarist “Joe Falconer,” bassist “Sam Rourke,” and drummer “Colin Jones.”
While there was a real variety in songs, from the more hardcore songs such as “Be Your Drug” and “Fire That Burns” to the classic bouncy hits of “Jacqueline” and “Fossils,” there was one guarantee in all that the crowd would follow and echo each and every word back to the band. I can’t imagine the feeling of pure ecstasy the lads must have felt on stage this album tour. To a newer Circa Waves fan from the outside looking in, you wouldn’t have been able to tell which songs were newer and “less known” from the Death and Love album, as each and every song received an incredible reception.
Circa Waves teased and treated the fans to a multi-song encore, with them finishing the night on the only song everyone expected and the only song deserving of the spot, “T-Shirt Weather.” Kieran brought the crowd to a total silence, waiting and stretching out every moment of anticipation before rewarding them with those sacred opening notes and that immense riff. There was a melancholic feel in the room as fans knew the end of the night had been reached, but that thought was quickly replaced as every single person in the academy that night began to bounce, with every last bit of energy put into screaming every last word of Circa Waves’ biggest hit. It was a truly remarkable way to end the night and such a sight to see, one I was beyond fortunate to witness.
In case it wasn’t apparent from above, Circa Waves’ Death and Love tour has been an utter success, with similar praises from each and every stop on the UK tour. It proves their evolution as a band has only made their live shows more thrilling. They now venture onto America, where undoubtedly they will receive the same reception, one they are highly deserving of.
I cannot wait for the next opportunity to see the Liverpool lads live, but until then, I’ll be playing their discography, including their newest addition, start to finish, on repeat.
