Welly @ the Bodega

Welly was back at Nottingham’s The Bodega for the second time this year. His self-deprecation is an extremely humble act, because there is no way that what Welly is experiencing right now is anything but a comeuppance. Having released their debut album “Big in the Suburbs” in March this year, the band is surrounded by an air of excitement and budding recognition. “They say you play the Bodega twice –once on the way up and... nice to see you again”, Welly quipped. The Mic's Aaliyah Field reports.

The Original Cover of Big In The Suburbs

Openers, Your Mate’s Ex and Vincent’s Last Summer, kicked off a music lover’s evening by representing two points on the alt-pop spectrum. Charli xcx style vocals with an 80’s synth beat followed by The Dare with more rock influence and AC/DC adlib vocals. Welly’s band danced beside me in lieu of it being Your Mate’s Ex’s last show on the tour. It was clear then that their calibre for bringing the energy is not exclusive to the stage. 

By the time it hit 9:30 the crowd was reeling from the openers who displayed immense stamina. If a band with any less of a reputation for extreme vitality was due to hit the stage after Vincent’s Last Summer, I’d be worried they’d been done a comparative disservice. Welly, however, could handle it, and need not be afraid to showcase brilliant acts as their openers. 

Welly’s entrance, scored by the “Macarena” no less, set the standard for the tongue-in-cheek tracks to follow. They began with their album’s opening track Big In The Suburbs, of which it seemed every audience member knew every word. If you didn’t know the words, not to worry! Welly makes it incredibly easy to involve yourself with guided chants and catchy lyrics.

High energy was a constant. Band members took turns jumping off the stage, bouncing off each other, feeding off the kinetic energy of the crowd. There were bassists in the pit, keyboardists with cowbells, singers with bubble guns, and a whole lot of entranced concert goers. It’s Not Like this in France saw a test of the architectural integrity of the Bodega’s second floor. Everyone in that room was part of the same entity, moving like viscous liquid around each other and maintaining the consistent beating heart of Welly’s tracks with their feet. The ground level changed as an estimated four hundred Doc Martens and Asics trainers hit the floor in unison, guided by the track’s heavy drumbeat. Welly performs with a palpable passion for music and a certain je ne sais quoi that is incredibly entertaining to watch.

Those in the bar downstairs may have understandably mistaken Welly for a comic with a heavy musical element in his routine. “The next one is really good to gallop to, great galloping tempo” Welly teased, before playing The Roundabout Racehorse. The set was full of quips and good-natured audience interaction. It was truly reminiscent of good old fashioned English humour with the three main elements accounted for: self-deprecation, deadpan delivery, and obscure references. 

The end of The Roundabout Racehorse where Welly repeats “I’ve got to get out, I can’t, I can’t” is a rare moment of serious reflection among the unadulterated fun. Welly’s vocals here were a desperate plea for a way out of the suffocating suburbs. This was the only time in the set that the energy blatantly shifted away from carefree to an introspective look into the theme of the album. On one hand, the suburbs are nostalgic and comfortable but on the other, they are isolating and difficult to escape. How do you leave somewhere that underpins your entire identity?

At a Welly show you are part of the music. The level of energy they supply to their audience is impossible to contain. Each song brings the audience closer to boiling point. By about mid-set, the audience are gaseous molecules weightlessly bouncing around the room, their path dictated by the rhythm of Cul-de-Sac.

Later, Welly had left the stage to fake out the audience, leaving the room to vibrate in anticipation as they still hadn’t played their much-loved 2022 single, Me and Your Mates. The potential in the room didn’t falter for a second. When they did make their return, the great finale involved every touring musician in the room on stage and no prop left unused. A swarm of bubbles and rainbow lights adorned the sunglasses wearing bands as they strummed guitars and bopped along to the hit. Members of the crowd who attempted to remain reserved throughout the set were now convinced to jump along and reach through bubbles in solidarity with their fellow Welly fans. Bassist, Jacob Whitear, leapt in and out of the mosh, tripping people up with his wired microphone. It was of little inconvenience as most people’s feet barely made contact with the ground anyway. 

Welly has a fantastic talent for commanding a crowd with their genuine interactions and stage presence. Their music is made for an unforgettable live experience that would satisfy even the fussiest of critics. Though their lyrics are characteristically British, their sound and energy have universal appeal. Look out for Welly on the international stage soon. Their escape from the suburbs is well under way. 

Aaliyah Field

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Edited by Daniela Roux

Photos courtesy of Welly