“Best gig we’ve ever done and we’re over the moon with it!” – Josh, For The Girl
Review by Callum Vickers
Photo’s from For The Girl’s Facebook Page
Friday 10th September saw For The Girl take centre stage at Billy’s Spare Room in Nottingham for a sold-out show in their home town, this marked the 3rd leg of their 5 date UK tour which has had the lads also shelling it down in Exeter, London, Newcastle and Manchester alongside supports Quorum and Namsaké, as well as local talent from each stop along the way.
I got down to the venue pretty early to get a feel for the place before the night got fully underway and coincidently bumped into Sam, the vocalist of For The Girl, who then introduced me to the rest of the band. There was a certain buzz to the air as we stood around chatting and I could tell that the night ahead of me was bound to be nothing short of electric.
The proceedings kicked off with Aura; a local band from neighbouring Mansfield, that set the pace with their strong basslines and energetic riffs. I was shocked to find out afterwards that it was their very first live performance as a band, this discovery went a long way to explaining the subtle stiffness I felt to the energy on stage, however It’s common knowledge that practice makes perfect and I’m sure that with time Aura will perfect their stage presence. I must say though, credit where credit is due, these guys smashed their set and had the vibes going from the get-go.
Next up were Namsaké; a London based 5-piece who through a multitude of well-timed interactions with the crowd, brought a refreshingly humorous take to their set. Their style, which I would describe as a blend of post-punk lyricism and pop-punk musicality seemed to be just what the crowd wanted to hear as heads began to nod and feet began to tap.
Up to this point the crowd had been pretty tame, with a reserved sense of appreciation just sneaking through, that is, until Quorum took their places to round off the supports. From the moment the lads from Devon stepped on stage and began to play their sound, that can undeniably be described as indie-pop, the energy in the room was elevated to the point that no-one was left standing still. You could see it on the bands faces that this is where they were happiest, on stage and in front of a responsive crowd.
And so, as the night drew to a close, For The Girl took their places on stage with a spring in their step and a smile on their faces, the crowd had been primed and the room was ready for them to display their amalgamation of different styles and interpretation of energetic indie rock. I was blown away with how well Sam’s vocals lived up to the expectation that their studio productions set and his unique vocal tone when combined with the clarity of his voice allowed every track the band performed to hit hard and provoke a rowdy reaction from their fans in the crowd.
For me, the standout moment of the set was hearing the crowd belt out For The Girl’s newest single ‘The New Dance Movement’ at the top of their lungs, it truly is a song with a chorus that is designed to invoke goosebumps. I have to give an honourable mention however to the incredible guitar-heavy rendition of Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca”, I won’t lie, it was probably the last song I expected to hear on the night, but it really allowed the crowd to just let loose and have some fun.
I caught up with the two original members of For The Girl, Sam and Josh after the set to get their thoughts on how the night went, Josh had this to say: “It’s been so long since we’ve done a hometown show and that’s how we always envision them!” he goes on further to say, “From our point of view that was spot-on! We enjoyed every minute of it, even if there were bum notes here and there, we aren’t that bothered because that reaction from that crowd, we’ve not had in 2 years or whatever so yeah, best gig we’ve ever done and we’re over the moon with it!”
The night as a whole was a pleasure to go along to and each and every band killed it, once again a big shout out to Aura, Namsaké and Quorum for their support sets and to For The Girl for a class night.
You can stream For The Girls newest single ‘The New Dance Movement’ now on all major platforms.
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