Having caught up with South Arcade a couple of weeks ago, they were looking forward to hitting the road and getting out in front of their fervent fan base around the UK. Having broken through on TikTok, the Oxford-based band have worked hard to bring the energy off social media and on to the stage.
Tonight, at Boom in Leeds, the small room is crammed full, with fans standing up on the benches that run down the sides of the room, just to get a glimpse of the band. It’s at fever pitch as Harry, Ollie and Cody take to the stage, pushing past fans and climbing over speakers to get into the recessed stage at the end of the room. Chants of “Harmony! Harmony!” ring out as lead singer, Harmony Cavelle waits patiently in a corridor, timing her entrance to perfection.
Crashing onto stage to the opening chords of Danger, the viral hit that ignited their fanbase, now in excess of 1 million streams, Cavelle is quickly into her stride bringing the personality and punch from their socials to the stage. In turn, that energy radiates into a receptive crowd who cannot get enough of the viral anthems delivered in quick succession at the start of the show.
With more space, you feel that the crowd would have been jumping and moving to the 2000s inspired alt-rock. Crammed in so tight though, it was difficult so there was just a mass of energy, oozing from side to side across the room, absorbed by the performance.
They’ve gone big, early in this set with Nepo Baby and new single How To Get Away With Murder quickly following Danger, and it serves to whip things up from the off. Harry Winks on guitar plays with a fierce energy, posing and reaching out to the audience from the front of the stage. Ollie on bass is regularly airborne while Cody holds it all together with a commanding performance on drums.
Cavelle is a hugely engaging performer, suited to a much bigger stage than she found herself on at this backstreet club in Leeds. Throughout, she’s calling out to the audience, asking for involvement and getting it back in spades. It’s relentless throughout their 13-song set, and as the sweaty crowd heaves itself through the door at the end of the evening, they know they’ve been in the presence of a band with real momentum.
Their young and devoted fanbase will fill even bigger venues than this next time around as the band head towards their first album.
Set list
DANGER
Nepo Baby
Bigger Than Anything Ever
How To Get Away With Murder
Change Your Mind
Riptide
Moth Kids
Silverlight
New Fever
At The Lights
Unaware
Sound of An Empty Room
Stone Cold Summer
