The Sherlocks - 19.10.23 - L. Fochesato
Bang on in the middle of their UK tour, The Sherlocks stopped by Islington Assembly Hall, a pretty intimate music venue in London. For the band from Yorkshire, it is the occasion to rock up the capital once more.
Before they did so, and supported by local band Good Health Good Wealth and Milton Keynes’ Cusp, the band accepted to chat with us backstage. People Like Me and You was released earlier this year, in August, and it only raised our curiosity.
The show starts with a mixed atmosphere – Good Health Good Wealth plays with the genres and ups the volume to create a soft club in the hall. Well, the disco ball above the pit is not against it. The performance leaves us unsure though: it is a special genre, with a posed flow and wording, some efficient guitars, and interesting electronic beats. But it might just not be the medicine we need right now.
Cusp follows them with a gentle rock that is more in our realm. The young band has a lot to offer. Their energy and freshness have a hint of uncertainty that, fortunately, vanishes quickly as they go through their set. Very promising, we hope to hear them more.
Now, on stage, the Sheffield band is delivering a cool performance. If between tracks we would have preferred a touch more interaction or sounds coming from the audience, The Sherlocks are still packing a punch.
The set list is mainly made of their latest album, People Like Me and You, but they are also here for the fans of the first hour and hit some tracks from their first records. If Remember All The Girls is a wonder, Will You Be There? is a classic. And it seems that Escapade is changing everything.
That’s when the pit opens on the floor and some really go mad, still careful of others, which is appreciated in any venue. And it could have been otherwise, we know it. But with all the different generations reunited here, it only is good vibes.
Taken by the energy of the audience, the second half of the show sees the band losing up a bit. There was no encore here, as The Sherlocks decided to escape the classic ‘pre-planned encore’ and just play more. It’s a good minute more. That’s a move we love when the music is flowing like that.
Encouraging ‘misbehaviour’ has always been part of rock music, and The Sherlocks can’t refuse that to their motivated fans. So they assure them that climbing on each other’s shoulders for the last song is fine. It’s just fun.
Introducing the song by claiming ‘we’ll organize a massive open-air gig in Yorkshire next year’, they are then playing until the last second. The extended version of Chasing Shadows makes it difficult for anybody to stay still, both for the band and the audience. And then the venue has to turn the lights back up, just as they finish up. The band stays on stage to say goodbye as the doors open. They smile, they cheer. They’ve done a great job.
See you next year in Yorkshire. Will you be there?
