Benedict Watson saw feel-good indie band Circa Waves make their mark on Nottingham's Rock City...
After missing out on seeing Circa Waves play in Nottingham just before the first lockdown, I was keen not to miss another chance to see them, so I headed down to Rock City to catch a crowd-pleasing set of sing-along indie hits from the established Liverpool band.
Whilst I am a Circa Waves fan, the stacked line-up of supports also motivated me to go to the gig. With rising post-punk band Courting opening, followed by the established tropical indie-pop act Cassia, it was a trio of some of the most exciting indie artists with a name beginning with the letter C! Courting started with one of their earlier songs Grand National, before playing some tracks from their well-received debut album Guitar Music. I’ve seen them once before - supporting Sports Team in 2021 - and their sound seems to have changed quite significantly since then. Gone was the cowbell that was passed around the crowd to play, and in came a heavy use of autotune which did sound a bit jarring, although that may have been the effect they were going for! Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable 25-minute set, and the crowd were much more enthusiastic than for most opening supports, with a large cheer when Jumper started.
Cassia are a band that must surely have their sights set on headlining Rock City in the near future, and their popularity showed as the venue filled up to near capacity for their half-hour set. Their beachy sound was perfect for a sunny Saturday in Nottingham, and they got the party started with 2020 hit Drifting. It was my fifth time seeing Cassia, and they can always be relied upon to provide an uplifting set that puts smiles on the faces of the crowd – and they always perform with a smile on their face too! A preview of High Tones, a new single released the following Tuesday, was a real treat for the fans, and their set was finished with the catchy sing-along of Right There.
The 2 fantastic support sets meant that the crowd were well warmed-up by the time Circa Waves entered the stage, and the rocky opening song Never Going Under got the crowd moving instantly. Quickly following that up with earlier hits Movies and Fossils meant that everyone was pretty sweaty by the end of the first 3 songs. The four-piece kept the energy up with more upbeat indie bangers from their back catalogue like Stuck In My Teeth and Get Away. Lead singer Kieran Shudall performed with passion all night, often grimacing at the crowd as he played a guitar riff. With five albums, they’ve now got a wealth of experience behind them – they actually celebrated their 10th anniversary as a band on this tour, and this showed as they provided a slick and polished set.
The use of the chilled Lemonade to give the crowd a rest from the moshing mid-way through the set was very well appreciated, as everyone got a chance to catch their breath! This song is a collaboration with Alfie Templeman, and they used guitarist Joe Falconer’s voice on Templeman’s verse. Whilst his mic was a little too quiet, this was a nice idea that was well supported by the crowd.
Following Lemonade, Circa Waves chose three of their heaviest songs to finish the main set. Be Your Drug sounded much better live than on recording, and surprisingly to me Sorry I’m Yours was one of my favourites of the night. Fire That Burns signalled the end of their main set as the band left the stage to raucous applause.
Returning for an encore, they started with Carry You Home, my personal favourite from their 2023 album Never Going Under. Jacqueline was next, then it was time for the moment in the night that everyone was waiting for. With over 100 million Spotify streams, T-Shirt Weather is by far Circa Waves’ most popular song. Shudell comically asked the crowd ‘’We’ve got one song left, what do you think we should play?’’ to which he received a unanimous shout of ‘’T-SHIRT WEATHER!’’ He then asked for silence in the crowd, leaned forward and played the iconic opening riff of the song, to which the crowd erupted into chaos. It was a fantastic end to a thoroughly enjoyable set which has made me very excited to see Circa Waves again during the upcoming festival season.
Circa Waves performed at Rock City on 10 June 2023.
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