Warm, comforting, and empowering.
On a blustery South West evening, a sold-out SWX provided shelter for a near-two-thousand gig-goers, all of whom were itching to escape the cold and bear witness to the modern indie-pop legend himself: Declan McKenna. In the celebratory wake of his latest discographic addition (“What Happened To The Beach?”), the London-born 25-year-old brought his new work to life in what can simply be described as a psychedelic-pop journey to remember.
Having recently diverged from his lyrical foundations — protest and politics — McKenna’s latest release is moulded around: self-discovery, musical freedom, and artistic maturation. An intimate insight into McKenna’s life since finding fame, was to be perfectly backdropped by the cosy confines of SWX.
Soon after 8:30pm, McKenna’s bandmates (Isobel Torres and Henry Pearce) were met with a hearty South West roar. Tip-toes and held breathes eagerly waited to gain a glance of the singer’s latest, seventies-inspired outfit. After the warm opening notes of “Honest Test”, McKenna emerged from the dim backstage lights into the sea of amorous screams that echoed from wall to wall. What followed was nothing short of mesmerising.
From the balcony, it was impossible to not notice the hypnotised and entranced crowd hanging onto every single word that came out McKenna’s mouth. Almost in an attempt to snap the youthful congregation out of their spellbound state, the trio on stage burst into the opening chords of “Make Me Your Queen”. This return to the album that first put his name into the pool of modern indie-pop royalty, was met with the backing vocals of every single member of the crowd.
Singalong to singalong, McKenna continued the ten-song, compact musical journey with a new fan favourite “Nothing Works”. This song is centred around being true to oneself; something that was highly appreciated by the crowd’s reception. The noise of the crowd and McKenna’s persistently infectious radiance brought nothing but positivity to the evening. Euphoria continued further as the grand trumpets and blaring opening vocals of “Sympathy” filled the venue. Much like “Nothing Works”, this new song was affirmative in proving McKenna’s successful return to the music scene after four years of little activity.
Thus far, the show had been bouncing. However, in what felt like a nod to the music that had seen him gain fame originally the pace was slowed and the crowd once again sent into their hypnotic state. McKenna proclaimed that the next tune (“Wobble”) was his favourite piece on the new album, and it is easy to see why. Heads swayed, captivated by the woozy number — and I wished that it could have gone on longer. Playful plucks and calming vocals, instilled a nostalgic feel into the concert. A return to freer times — McKenna’s goal was perfectly translated in his performance.
If you have ever been lucky enough to witness a Declan McKenna set, you will be well aware of the aura that overcomes the audience as the gig nears a close. Despite it not being his usual set time, set list, or even full group of band members, there was still the collective feeling of “it’s Brazil time”. Although seen as the artist’s “Wonderwall” or “Candy”, the 25-year-old does recognise that it is a tune. A few strums of an acoustic guitar followed by a blissful, and instantly recognisable pick of ‘G’ was met with a crowd sent into an indie frenzy. Four minutes of pure elation were ended with a slow drum beat and a quick quip from McKenna saying “We are not playing British Bombs tonight”. Confused and unsure, the crowd listened to the slow drumbeat waiting for the mystery song. He had fooled us —- “British Bombs” played, an anthem for indie lovers worldwide filled Bristol’s SWX for what was the perfect end to a perfect show.
Declan McKenna returns to Bristol on April 9th, playing at the Bristol Beacon. This show promises euphoria, joy, and fabulous memories — it is certainly one to look forward to.
Role - I am a passionate writer with an interest for reviewing concerts and music.
Available For - Gig reviews and artist interviews.
Qualification - Currently I am studying BSc in Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath.
First Concert - The first concert I ever attended was Coldplay at the Royal Albert Hall (2014). It was to promote the release of their ‘Ghost Stories’ album. I will never forget the call my dad gave me to say he had managed to get two tickets for the both of us. The whole experience was just pure joy. The relative intimacy (for Coldplay) of the Royal Albert Hall, will always make that night one of the best (if not the best) concerts I have ever attended.
Dream Concert - In all honesty this is too difficult to answer with just one concert. If I were to select a few artists that I would love to see, it would have to be: Hope Sandoval, feeble little horse, Greg Foat, Kurt Vile, Lucy Dacus (specifically playing ‘No Burden’ in its entirety), Jadu Heart and The Moldy Peaches.
There is also the difficulty of dream gigs that are not able to be done. These would be: Mahalia Jackson, Etta James, Ann Peebles, Karen Dalton, Leon Russell, Mojave 3, The Smiths, and George Harrison (“All Things Must Pass” just from start to finish).
