Last week, Noahfinnce, along with Taylor Acorn and South Arcade, took off on the UK leg of his Growing Up on the Internet tour, and I was lucky enough to catch his Leeds show at Stylus.
I will quickly get the bad out of the way – which isn’t on the crowd, or on the artists. It’s on the venue, and the staff. When I get there, I immediately see security being quite harsh with some of the younger fans, yet nicer to the adults. The teens hadn’t done anything wrong, just returned to their friends after nipping to loo, but the way they were spoken to you’d think they’d have committed atrocities.
My second grumble is around accessibility. I’d requested a seat for health reasons, and when I was there, they apologised and said all the seats had been taken. I don’t blame the staff that told me, and I did at first accept it as those seated probably needed them more. It is it what is it. Except… when I got into the actual venue, I saw staff removing empty chairs. My request could have been accepted. Luckily, the crowd wasn’t pushy, so I just had moderate discomfort through the night, and I didn’t have to worry too much.
Those are my grumbles. So, it’s time for all the good!
It was a very wholesome crowd. A very young crowd, and one that was accepting and it’s clear that Noahfinnce creates an inclusive space for all to be themselves and let loose.
South Arcade was the first band on! A band I’d been lucky enough to see last year with Yours Truly. I enjoyed them back then, but over a year on I was blown away!
Their confidence and stage presence were already good, but it’s clear that they’ve really grown into themselves. They’ve found their sound, and the comfort displayed on stage and with their music is incredible. They played the likes of Sound of an Empty Room, HOW 2 GET AWAY WITH MURDER and brand-new, unreleased track 2005.
Taylor Acorn followed them. Coming all the way from the USA, she brought an old-style of rock performance by keeping it cool but keeping the energy high. I’d never heard her, so to be introduced to her live was good to fully embrace the essence of her music.
She performed tracks such as High Horse, Coma and Greener. My personal favourite was Birds Still Sing, a slower song, but one that’s full of emotion
For the third time this year, I got to see Noahfinnce. The first time being at Enter Shikari at the start of the year, and then with McFly a few months ago. Each time I’ve seen him, I’ve absolutely loved it – and his headline show was far from an exception.
Headline shows give you more opportunities, and Noahfinnce took that. There wasn’t an overwhelming number of props, decorations or anything, really. The stage was decorated with TV screens, and it allowed him to play some more audio remixes that he’s known to play between tracks.
Of course, it made for a longer setlist that allowed older songs like After Therapy and Asthma Attack, which involved a fan project where we put purple stars over our phone lights. He also played brand-new songs, such as I Know Better, SCUMBAG and Growing Up on the Internet. Of course, he played Pet with the Tism from the recently released deluxe edition.
Each time I’ve been able to see Noahfinnce, I’ve enjoyed it more and more. The energy, the atmosphere – although Leeds felt a bit more special. Maybe I felt a little nostalgic seeing the younger teens embracing themselves, having the night of their lives. Like most, that’s how I fell in love with live music. I think it’s so sweet to see the younger generation doing the same.
A night of good music and good vibes is hard to beat! And by the end of the night, Noah was running around the balcony and playing right beside me, and guitarist Charlie running around the pit high-fiving fans. A great ending to a great night, I look forward to seeing Noahfinnce again soon!