Music
Review: Circa Waves bring The O2 Forum to a boil
Circa Waves celebrated the release of their new album with a banger show in North London.
It’s been one of the most highly-anticipated indie albums of the year so far, and now Circa Waves can finally celebrate the release of Different Creatures. And they do so with good old rock’n’roll style. The largely sold-out run kicked off in Sheffield, with eleven dates to follow across the UK, and finished up in Cambridge. We headed down to their show at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town on a Friday.
Circa Waves exude a feeling of being young and carefree. And it’s more than obvious tonight with a whole generation of young fans singing and dancing their hearts out, feeling every word so intensely it makes everyone around them want to be 16 again. And with Circa Waves you can. While their new sound clearly shows that the band has grown up, they still bring that Chuck Taylor-wearing, sunshine spirit to their shows that makes them such an incredible live band.
Tracks like Get Away and Stuck In My Teeth bring on the infectious feel-good vibes that stay with the crowd throughout the entire evening. Material from the record shines with its soaring guitar chords and darker lyrics, and somehow it all fits together perfectly and represents the emotional rollercoaster we have all been on.
Just a few tracks in, frontman Kieran Shudall demands to see the “biggest moshpit you’ve ever made in your lives” as the band jump into a ripping performance of Goodbye.
It wouldn’t be a Circa Waves show without T-Shirt Weather, the band’s biggest hit so far and an absolute fan favourite. Shudall cheekily asks the crowd what song they want to hear last, only to be greeted with a loud and unified roar. It’s a song filled with teenage freedom and summer carelessness that leaves everyone with a big smile on their face.
Once again, Circa Waves deliver a seriously hot show, both literally and figuratively, that has every soul in the room off their seats and on their feet dancing with deafening cheers.
No need to be sad if you’ve missed the tour, Circa Waves are playing TRNSMT Festival and Reading & Leeds this summer. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.co.uk.
