Indie-rock band The Snuts took to the stage at The Leadmill to play their first ever gig in Sheffield. Forge Press spoke to lead vocalist Jack Cochrane ahead of the gig, about his excitement to play at our cherished institution for such a lively music scene. But I don’t think neither he, nor the middle-aged bald man who patronisingly warned me that it was going to ‘get a bit rowdy’, were expecting the due kind of reaction and energy from the crowd.
Bringing along support from fellow Scottish bands: Creeping Jean and Mark Sharp and The Bicycle Thieves who were both similar in sound to The Snuts. Creeping Jean were more heavily focused on percussion with their use of tambourine and maracas, whereas Mark Sharp carries a mellower voice and used electric synth sounds. It had already felt very personal and hospitable to select other smaller Scottish artists who otherwise, we might not have had the opportunity to listen to. But this feeling was enhanced when I looked around and saw the familiar faces of the headline act amongst the crowd. It was as though this experience of the evening was equally for the enjoyment of fans and The Snuts themselves.
The support clearly succeeded in laying the foundation to a memorable evening. Before The Snuts even took to the stage, the crowd was already feeling energetic; with the band having to dodge the flying cans of red stripe and the swinging shirts of topless boys and girls when performing their first track ‘All Your Friends’.
There were attempts to slow down and manage the crowd, in part to balance and vary the set and for the boys to catch their breaths. But there was only minimal success at managing to silence the crowd for one ‘sad f***king song’, before there were interrupts and demand to ‘bring back The Snuts’. It truly felt like an intimate showcase with both the crowd and the band in constant communication. The band listened to the crowds demands but still played the music they wanted too or which they felt suited; and in return the crowd showed their appreciation in their chants, moshing and throwing their bodies and beer cans.
This open communication to be flexible with the set, meant the gig was balanced between welcoming familiar tracks, including their very early demos, with samples of what’s to come next for the band. Whilst I enjoyed the selection, I found the whole evening more so a proud showcase of Sheffield than the band themselves. As Jack repeated throughout the night, “it might be our first time in Sheffield, but I can’t f***king wait to come back already.”
Image: MBC
