“LEEDS! How are we doing?!” The crowd roars in response as lead singer Stewart Brock addresses his fans. I quickly shouted “How are you?” and that caught him off guard. That’s the thing about bands; every night they greet a city like old friends but the crowd rarely get to ask the questions. Try it yourself and start a conversation at your next gig. Just ask the band how they are – they’ll appreciate it.
Prides are a Glasgow-based three piece who specialise in passionate dance music that will get you chanting until your throat is sore. They’re loud, intense and fun. Oh, so much fun.
The guys kicked the evening off with ‘I Should Know You Better’ and the crowd were hooked from the first note. Everyone in the audience were marked with a Prides logo which turned out to be the band’s way of identifying their fans; pictures were taken and people were proud to belong in the #PridesDanceParty (their tag, not mine.)
Prides are well prepared for tour; there wasn’t a set-list in sight and they managed to play track after track without losing energy. If anything, they thrived off the live performance and got louder with every song. ‘Higher Love’ got the fans clapping along and ‘The Seeds You Sow’ was met with fiery passion that other bands ought to be jealous of.
Halfway through the gig the boys made a desperate plea for fans to buy their merchandise. “If you want to look hot to the opposite sex, buy a t-shirt” “Yeah, if you want to look the opposite of us…” Modesty will get you nowhere boys, and your t-shirts are pretty rad.
Prides’ cover of Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ was probably one of the best versions I’ve ever heard and ‘Out Of The Blue’, the latest song from the boys, was the strongest song of the set. The building shook under the colossal sound and solid beat; people were stamping, clapping, and cheering the band on; it was hard to tell who was having the most fun.
‘Messiah’ was the final song of the evening and it was a perfect end to such a lively show. I could hear the crowd sing every word with the same amount of passion that Stewart, Callum and Lewis were playing with. Prides have created something really special, building up a family of passionate, honest fans who just want to party with their friends. It was utterly delightful to be a part of it.
After the gig I ran over to Prides to thank them for such a wonderful evening. Their gig was vibrant, energetic and sweaty, and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. Callum thanked me for going and told me a band secret: “That light at the back, our logo? It’s a hula hoop and a broom handle. I made it myself.” I don’t know whether that’s true or not but he looked so proud of the construction that I had to believe him.
LIVE DATES
22nd October – BIRMINGHAM – Sunflower Lounge
23rd October – LONDON – The Barfly SOLD OUT
24th October – BRISTOL – The Old Bookshop SOLD OUT
6th December – GLASGOW – The Arches SOLD OUT
5th February – INVERNESS – Ironworks
6th February – ABERDEEN – Lemon Tree
7th February – EDINBURGH – Liquid Rooms
11th February – BRIGHTON – The Haunt
12th February – LONDON – Heaven
13th February – NOTTINGHAM – Bodega
14th February – SHEFFIELD – Leadmill
Download ‘Out Of The Blue’ now: iTunes
pridesband.com
@PridesBAND
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