By Adam Hamza
It is a pleasure to hear a band who can really perform well live in a venue such as Shepherd’s bush aswell as they can in a recording studio. Some live bands sound muffled and words beginning with S make your eardrums explode. Frontman Kieran Shudall had no such problems though, delivering his performance clearly like a seasoned pro, despite Shepherds Bush being the band’s biggest performance yet.
Circa Waves formed in 2013 after they met at sound city in Liverpool, the band gained popularity after supporting The 1975 and The Libertines. Zane Lowe also boosted their reputation after he named ‘Stuck In My Teeth’ as his ‘Hottest Record’. They recently performed a cover of Ellie Goulding’s ‘Love Me Like You do’ in Radio 1’s Live Lounge giving it an indie rock tone.
The band kicked off by playing young chasers, an uplifting song that got everyone in the room standing. The crowd was lifted into summer as the bands glowing mood spread, leading the audience to forget the temperamental spring weather that loomed outside. I removed my jacket after feeling the warming energy booming through the room and prepared for what was an amazing night.
Circa Waves had no problem entertaining the audience with Kieran easily working the crowd, encouraging them to sing along to ‘Good for me’ and getting them to clap along. “Who’s got our new record?” shouted Kieran followed by screams from the crowd.
The crowd was surprisingly rowdy with mosh pits throughout, several crowd surfers and beer thrown from the balconies. One person’s shoe was lost from one of the mosh pits, it was then thrown on stage. Circa Waves returned the favour by throwing a guitar pick and a drumstick into the crowd to the delight of the fans.
Shepherd’s Bush Empire is an amazing venue that gives an intimate feeling, despite being able to hold 2,000 people. The classic design is stunning, but I was slightly worried for the strength of the balcony as it bounced to the music with all the people jumping to ‘Fossils’.
The band played out to T-Shirt Weather where the crowd went wild, confetti cannons blasted us all, creating a perfect ending. Circa Waves will be the soundtrack of my summer and I will remember their awesome vibe every time I listen to one of their tracks.
Related article: Circa Waves Debut Album Review
