On a typical cold and rainy November night in Sheffield, lovers of alternative rock music from across the Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester area came together to have their souls warmed it what was an unmissable hour and a half of sheer performance magic.
Dave Le-aupepe led the audience along the deeply personal narrative that runs through the band’s most recent album, Angel in Realtime, exploring themes of depression, Le’aupepe’s relationship with his late father and his own sense of identity. The Leadmill crowd so willingly listened to Le’aupepe speak frankly about his own experience of depression and mental illness, a particularly poignant moment in the set being when Le’aupepe took the opportunity to express his regret at having not said goodbye to his father before attempting to take his own life. But as skilled as Le-aupepe was at bringing the energy of the crowd down to the point of silence, he was equally as skilled in the art of getting the crowd to dance. Although you could tell the crowd were quite surprised to hear the big, upbeat numbers of ‘Let me Down Easy’ and ‘The Angel of 8th Avenue’ so early on in the set, it undoubtedly raised the energy of the crowd from the start. And as far as charismatic frontmen go, Le’aupepe lived up high expectations, pulling out moves to the left, right and centre of the stage and singing into the eyes of individuals in the crowd.
Now I’m a big fan of mosh pits and tight crowds, but it was so nice to go to a gig where people could dance and hold a pint without the risk of spillage or losing a limb. Don’t get me wrong, the Leadmill was filled from front to back, but perfectly so. Unfortunately the beauty of Le’aupepe’s voice was at times lost to the base, but when you have a band with so many instruments performing in such an intimate venue it is in a way to be expected. That said, even though Gang of Youths are by far a band you’d expect to be seeing playing a small gig down the pub, the rawness of the sound really captured how the band see themselves – not as gifted musicians to be marvelled at, but as normal, down-to-earth guys just enjoying making music.
It’s certainly true that as a band who so brilliantly pervade their anthemic choruses with bittersweet melancholia, songs such as ‘The Deepest of Sighs’ would not appear out of place alongside the likes of Pulp’s ‘Common People’ or Sam Fender’s ‘Seventeen Going Under’. Indeed, what all these artists share is the ability to write songs that marry euphoric melodies with honest lyrics that resonate with their listeners. So if one things for certain, it’s that Gang of Youths are a band worthy of winning Triple J’s Australian Album of the Year.
Although Gang of Youths are done touring the UK for now, the band are already set to perform at Neighbourhood Weekender and Isle of Wight next year, with a likely possibility of more, so make sure they’re on your list for festivals in 2023.
