Live: Bombay Bicycle Club @ O2 Academy, Newcastle
Eager fans gathered together at the O2 Academy to celebrate the return of Bombay Bicycle Club on tour in the city of Newcastle after 7 painstaking long years.
Posted: 29 January 2020
Words: Samantha Hall
The eagerly anticipated return of Bombay Bicycle Club ignites the North East crowd into a singing frenzy.
After a three-year hiatus, Bombay Bicycle Club announced their return to music. That was January 2019, one year on, and fans have witnessed the release of their latest album: ‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’, as well as the start of a brand new tour.
It’s no surprise the band managed to sell out Newcastle’s o2 Academy as excitement radiated throughout the venue, the floor buzzing with a crowd of hundreds of eager fans that had gathered together in unison to celebrate the return of Bombay Bicycle Club to the city of Newcastle after 7 painstaking long years.
Kickstarting their set with the addictive new track ‘Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)’, the band sound as good as ever from the get-go. It's impossible to tell they’d taken several years off, Jack Steadman’s vocals as strong as ever, the band as polished and as tip-top as they’ve always been.
Accompanied by brass instruments, their tunes and melodies were enhanced. ‘Feel’ was extra special, its intricate and indulgent Bollywood inspired aesthetic transformed by the live brass band into something utterly flawless.
Liz Lawrence opened the show as a supporting act but offered up her ethereal vocals throughout Bombay Bicycle Club’s set. ‘Home By Now’ and ‘Luna’ were especially beautiful, her vocals a charming complement to the tracks’ already elegant appeal.
The powerful ‘Evening/Morning’ felt triumphant, as the crowd sing back the lyrics ‘I’m ready to owe you anything’ while Ed Nash well and truly delivered his heavy bass guitar solo.
Following a trend set at previous shows, the band left the stage after ‘Carry Me’, before returning to rounds of applause for their encore.
‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’ and ‘Always Like This’ were perfectly suited encore anthems. A mix of the old and the new, the band showed that they’ve still got it in them to perform at the highest level.
The final track of the night saw the crowd transition to the most lively state they’d been all night, not only singing back the lyrics but doing a pretty good job of singing along with guitar riffs as well.
Many bands today are rarely as good as Bombay Bicycle Club are while being equally authentic. There’s something about their sense of belonging that they can bring to their fans at live shows.
Photo Credit: John Hutchings
It’s no surprise the band managed to sell out Newcastle’s o2 Academy as excitement radiated throughout the venue, the floor buzzing with a crowd of hundreds of eager fans that had gathered together in unison to celebrate the return of Bombay Bicycle Club to the city of Newcastle after 7 painstaking long years.
Kickstarting their set with the addictive new track ‘Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)’, the band sound as good as ever from the get-go. It's impossible to tell they’d taken several years off, Jack Steadman’s vocals as strong as ever, the band as polished and as tip-top as they’ve always been.
Accompanied by brass instruments, their tunes and melodies were enhanced. ‘Feel’ was extra special, its intricate and indulgent Bollywood inspired aesthetic transformed by the live brass band into something utterly flawless.
Liz Lawrence opened the show as a supporting act but offered up her ethereal vocals throughout Bombay Bicycle Club’s set. ‘Home By Now’ and ‘Luna’ were especially beautiful, her vocals a charming complement to the tracks’ already elegant appeal.
The powerful ‘Evening/Morning’ felt triumphant, as the crowd sing back the lyrics ‘I’m ready to owe you anything’ while Ed Nash well and truly delivered his heavy bass guitar solo.
Following a trend set at previous shows, the band left the stage after ‘Carry Me’, before returning to rounds of applause for their encore.
‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’ and ‘Always Like This’ were perfectly suited encore anthems. A mix of the old and the new, the band showed that they’ve still got it in them to perform at the highest level.
The final track of the night saw the crowd transition to the most lively state they’d been all night, not only singing back the lyrics but doing a pretty good job of singing along with guitar riffs as well.
Many bands today are rarely as good as Bombay Bicycle Club are while being equally authentic. There’s something about their sense of belonging that they can bring to their fans at live shows.
Photo Credit: John Hutchings