With Noisey and Kid Brunswick
Don Broco performed in what they said is their favourite city this week – Nottingham. And boy did Nottingham bring it.
The first support act was 22 year old Harry James aka Kid Brunswick who brought Rock City to life.
Kid Brunswick is arguably the next Yungblud – he’s bouncy, talented and his sound is very similar. He combined a distorted electronic sound with acoustic guitar and vain-popping screams – perfect for a Don Broco gig. His lyrics are performed with such powerful and raw emotion that you know he believes in every word he says.
One thing that struck me about his performance was the use of backing tracks with layered vocals. Instrumentally, it was spot on. The mix of instruments had obviously been produced to a high quality. I was very impressed with the mix of genres he was able to perform in a short set – there was enough variety for everyone at the gig who were into Don Broco’s sound.
However, a lot of his songs also featured a lot backing vocals which were way too high in the mix. Whilst this may replicate the official soundtracks, it was occasionally confusing to watch live. It gave the impression that he was miming some lines, but this could have been the mix.
Kid Brunswick’s alternative, punk and arguably hip hop influences come together to add a darkness to his music that separates him from the crowd.
Self pro-claimed ‘rock n roll ravers’ Noisy were the second act before Don Broco.
A running theme for the night is the production quality. When you go beyond your classic drum, guitar, bass and vocal sound and start to bring in MIDI instruments, you have to make sure you’re doing it right – and they did. They didn’t over do it with the electronics but they definitely live up to their ‘roll n roll raver’ combination.
But my favourite thing about Noisy is their clear genuinity. They obviously love what they do and have a real friendship in the band – just look at their Instagram. They give off a real ‘local lads making it big’ vibe – and they are. Currently on tour with Don Broco and previously supported You Me At Six, it won’t be long until the lads are headlining their own shows.
I was pleasantly surprised by both support acts. At first glance I wasn’t sure if they would compliment each other or Don Broco but they did.
It was a sold out show but it wasn’t until Don Broco came on stage did you realise how pact the place really was.
The crowd produced an endless sea of crowd surfers. That poor security team was forever dragging drunk, half-clothed ravers over the barrier.
Don Broco performed to a crowd that obviously idolised the them – there were people who had dressed up as Power Rangers, Cowboys and Footballers to show their love for the band.
There’s a level of musical sophistication you expect to see when you watch a professional band, but that doesn’t take away from how much fun Don Broco were clearly having. Simon Delaney would not stand still and I’m a huge fan of his spinning kicks.
They opened with ‘Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan’, played songs from their latest release Amazing Things and some slightly older favourites like ‘Nerve’ and ‘Action’ for which they brought out the singers from the the support acts – a personal favourite track of the night. Of course, there were pits. Would it even be a Don Broco gig without them?
With a couple of the band members having gone to a Nottingham University, they reminisced about their very first gig in Nottingham and their love for the city – comparing the feeling of playing in Nottingham to the same level as playing in Wembley. Sometimes, smaller venues triumph.