The Sherlocks are a band that put fans above anything else, and at Rough Trade this was clear from the get-go.
Immediately upon entering, I could see all four of them there amongst the fans, drinking and chatting with them as though they were in their local. If you didn’t know them, you’d have thought they were just there to watch the gig.
They opened with NYC (Sing It Loud) and a full drum kit played by Brandon Crook immediately showed the crowd that they had ditched the original acoustic setup they had planned, and nobody was disappointed. Before the first chorus had kicked in, the crowd were going off, singing every word and making their presence known. Considering the single was only released in June, it was a credit to both the band and their fans that it was already so well-known.
They followed on from that with the fan favourite Escapade which really got the room moving. Despite this being a promo gig for the new album the band made sure to include a good number of old bangers so nobody went home disappointed. They then debuted Waiting and Dreams from the new album and said it was the first time they’d played them live, which was surprising considering how tight the band sounded
Continuing to work their way through the playlist, newer single Magic Man, old classic Live for the Moment and new album title track Under Your Sky (another world debut) all got warm receptions, finishing on the reliable Chasing Shadows from their first album.
The band had got back from a mini world tour only the day before, including dates in Japan, Korea and Russia and before that playing sets at just about every UK rock festival and a few dozen more dotted around the globe. This showed throughout the performance as every song sounded right on point and the chemistry in the band - especially between bass and drums - was unmissable.
Overall, The Sherlocks’ Rough Trade outing was a great gig from a band that have certainly still got a lot more in store, and I look forward to seeing how the new album does and how they develop as a band over the next few years.
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