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Stealing Sheep’s slow ascent into the nations’ consciousness continues. Opening with a Beatles-esque rendition of I am the Rain, the crowd’s attention was immediately focused towards the stage as the trio’s spiraling harmonies edged skywards.
Your Saddest Song played next crashed like waves against the shore, Lucy’s drums and cymbals propelling the song forwards, the drama of the rhythm lending the song extra emotion.
The best-known song by the three-piece, The Mountain Dogs was re-arranged, pushing Emily’s guitar up the mix, leading off with a guitar-drum unison.
The audience remained silent during the delicate harmonies between the three voices, the subtlety of the trio’s recordings remaining intact live.
Wayward B-side Bats showed off the band’s more angular side, shape-shifting between different tempos and moods, never losing sight of the melody at the centre of the piece.
Increasingly dynamic onstage as their relentless touring has doubtless built their confidence, the trio strode through their set, their beguiling magic drawing the audience in along the way.
Making a welcome return to the city’s stages following an extended live lay-off, Hot Club De Paris launched into a mid-paced boogie, reminiscent of a loose Led Zeppelin jam.
Ostensibly the support act to the ‘Sheep, the ‘Club retained the vast majority of the crowd, as they pummel through their melodic math-rock set.
The sticksman, wearing the kind of ‘phones usually seen on building sites or test labs expertly guided the trio through the songs.
The chatter between the three members went down well with the crowd between the songs, the three-piece delivering variations on the famous ‘It’s Miller Time’ slogan as the set progressed.
With several of the songs stumbling to a close only to be greeted by grins between the three members wondering what happened, the trio were completely relaxed in the bijoux surroundings of the Zanzibar.
Serving up a digest of the most influential bands of the Noughties, the ‘Club manouevered their way through Futureheads-esque guitar frenzies and Libertines-style vocal harmonies with consummate ease.
Photos by Marie Hazelwood