The Easter weekend may traditionally centre around the return of Christ, but in Sheffield this Friday we saw the return of the indie genre’s most prominent names right now: Declan McKenna.
As I walk into The Octagon freezing and soaking wet from the treacherous weather outside, looking at the packed out room of adoring fans brings a sense of community and warmth to my heart; everyone has put their bank holiday plans on pause to support this artist and the Sheffield music scene.
After grabbing myself a pint and making my way to the crowd, I notice how diverse it is. People from different generations all waiting anxiously for Declan to grace this Steel City stage.
The stage lights beam out towards the audience and as music blares from the speakers Declan makes his way out met with a warm welcome of shouting and cheer
Photo: Jacob Flannery
Declan kicks off set with ‘Sympathy’ which is met with complete worship and devotion by this adoring crowd.
As he transitions into our next track of the evening, McKenna shouts “Sheffield, let’s dance!” as he launches into ‘Why Do You Feel So Down?’ and the crowd let out a roar and proceed to jump in formation.
Track number three of the night takes a political turn with ‘Listen to Your Friends’ with McKenna’s lyrics “The problem is poor kids who want holidays in term time / The problem is poor kids who can’t afford the train fare … / The problem is welfare / And the problem is free healthcare” depicting the horrendous current climate Britain is experiencing.
Moving further down the Sheffield set list we’re met with one of McKenna’s first-ever tracks, ‘The Kids Don’t Wanna Go Home’, a clear fan favourite which is lapped up as the crowd belt out every single line.
The room is full of great vibes, a happy atmosphere that genuinely feels like pure escapism.
Working through the set list, things start to slow down for a while as we move through tracks with a slower pace and mellow instrumentals including vast layers of pristine riffs and sheer skill.
However, things quickly take a turn as the trademark ‘Isombard’ sound enters the air; everyone is surged with energy bouncing up and down singing along to “If you can’t walk, then run / Well, if you can’t walk, then run”. This song has pockets of intertwining sections which are not only a pleasure to listen to but added tension to the atmosphere as played out live.
It is critical to point out, that you cannot have watched a Declan McKenna show without hearing the song ‘Brazil’, another warmly received track. However, this wasn’t quite the end of the night…
Declan exits the stage for a few moments only, then returns gifting us four more songs – what a bank holiday treat!
The night closes on ‘British Bombs’, arguably the pinnacle of the evening with a brilliant instrumental section as the band lets go completely. Every single person in the room bounced their way through the entire track singing out “Great Britain won’t stand for felons / Great British bombs in the Yemen”.
