There was no guessing where many people were going tonight in Leeds. The city centre was filled with glamour, with an invasion of flowy dresses, long hair tied in ribbons, and rainbow-laced Dr. Martins. Once inside, the audience was serenaded by classical and show tunes over the speakers between the acts, as tonight we have the pleasure of two support acts.
First up, with her debut EP ‘Intro’ out, Kaeto opened tonight’s proceedings, floating like a disco fairy on stage as she fluttered through the lights. After binging her EP on the hour drive up it is true to say Kaeto sounds even better with a live band. A short set that only really felt like it got started half way through and was much appreciated by the early bird crowds.
Tonight’s tracks came from the EP and started with the euphoric ‘Carry You’ before the hypnotic ‘Kiss Me’ and then my favourite Kaeto number, ‘Distance’. Her vocals are breathless and absorbing as the track builds into hypnotic, electronic, and atmospheric brilliance. ‘Hero’ and ‘Pacifist’ follow as Kaeto finishes on her big single ‘U R Mine’ before disappearing from view. I would love to see her headline on a stage and make the impact she can.
Scotland’s Lucia and The Best Boys brought their dark gothic sounds, with a powerful, prowling front woman making a dramatic entrance on the first track, ‘When You Dress Up,’ with floor tom to bang. Dramatic synths joined on ‘Angles Cry Too.’ Lucia’s voice is on in a kind with a great range, but it’s her stage presence that wins the fans. Captivating and moving, she puts on a very much physical performance as well as a vocal one.
The band’s debut full-length title track, ‘Burning Castles,’ got the biggest shout of the night, but for me, it was the striking, drum-dominated track, ‘So Sweet I Could Die,’ that really shone. The final track, ‘Perfectly Unture,’ was a heavier rock affair with sweeping synths and a heavy bass line picked out by the distorted guitars. It’s the edgier tracks like this and ‘So Sweet I Could Die’ that hit the spot from this band.
With the arena now suitably filled to bursting point, The Last Dinner Party entered to a very excited crowd. It’s hard to think of a band that caused such a stir among so many people early in their careers. The band came on, minus the lead singer, as they set the scene ready for Abigail Morris to appear. As lead singer, Abigail Morris is everything you could ask for. A graceful prowling feline that uses the full stage to full effect for her unique dramatic stage presence, as other members danced and pulled shapes.
Slight change saw Lizzie Mayland, who commented it was a bit of a homecoming gig with being born and bred in Yorkshire, take centre stage to sing a Yorkshire inspired cover of Catherine Howe’s ‘Up North’. The baby grand got an airing during this very beautiful part of the set. I haven’t witnessed an audience that is so quiet, especially one of this size. That was until cries of Yorkshire! broke out.
The night also featured another singer, keyboardist Aurora Nishevci, who sang ‘Gjuha’, reflecting on her shame of not being able to speak her native language well. With Emily Roberts on mandolin, the beautiful folk song again had the audience hypnotised. The rest of the band joined in throughout before seamlessly transitioning into their song ‘Sinner,’ which woke the crowd up as they sang the lyrics back to the band, and the evening took off.
The stage was a delight of gorgeous, classy set dressing, featuring a baby grand piano and phantom lighting that matched the quintet’s well-known style. Mayland, in particular, looked sleek and stunning to go with her jaw-dropping voice. The band’s dress code was copied by hardcore fans, of which there were many tonight, and they were loud.
Morris’s in-betweeny ramblings were funny at times and a nod to the fact that these musicians are pretty new to the game of taming a big crowd. Something made fun of by Morris saying, “You know how it is when you are standing in front of a hundred adoring fans”, after fumbling her words on a song introduction.
‘On Your Side’, faded out to a red brilliance. Appreciation due to the fantastic lighting tech tonight who did a great job. The feminine urge got the most significant reaction from the crowd, the female portion in particular, as they belted out, “Do you feel like a man when I can’t talk back?” the excitement in the room was carried along as the band flung themselves straight into their recent cover of Blondie’s ‘Call me’.
The encore delivered two tracks, the first was the western tinged piano extravagant ‘The Killer’ a well titled track that really is a killer. Morris owns the stage, developing her stage style and persona. She admitted to forgetting the words to the track in the past; she thanked the Leeds crowd for helping her remember them. Something that would not be a problem with the last track as the crowd easily overpowered the band, who brought the night to a close with an epic rendition of the fan favourite ‘Nothing Matters’.
It almost didn’t matter to many how the band performed, as they would be adored anyway; such is the love for this band. Fortunately for the sell-out crowd, the band was in top form. There’s still a nervousness about them when they take the stage, but you can hear the joy, and tonight, well and truly, feel it in every cell. Say what you like about this band, but there is something magical about being in their presence.
