Gig review: The Slow Readers Club at Rescue Rooms

We arrive at the venue just as York-based rockers Glass Caves have begun their opening set. They themselves are also releasing new music in 2025, with new album Back To Earth due out in May. Tonight’s support set draws heavily from their impressive back catalogue instead, with tracks like Eye to Eye, Swim and particularly the riff-tastic Common Tongue, all sounding fantastic.

“The four of us are sharing a three-man Travelodge tonight” reveals frontman Matt Hallas, sharing details of the unglamorous side to life on the road. “So, if you want to upgrade our room, please buy some merch!” he says, only half-jokingly. Bought in by their catchy tunes and infectious charm, we visit their merch stand during the interval following their fun 30-minute set. Hopefully they slept a little better as a result!

With the downstairs absolutely rammed for tonight’s headliners, we just about manage to squeeze in on the Rescue Rooms balcony, giving us a good vantage point of the stage. Soon enough, the lights go out and suddenly the familiar chants of “READERRRRS!” ring around the crowd, as blue flashing lights emit from the stage and spacey synths begin to play over the speakers. The Slow Readers Club walk out to a huge ovation, getting straight down to business with old favourites Yet Again and The Wait.

“It’s great to be back!” says frontman Aaron Starkie with a smile, greeting the crowd for the first time. “This is a new one – hopefully, it you’ve been paying attention, you would’ve already heard it.” The song is new single Animals, with fans in the audience enjoying the first ever live performance of the track. It’s then back into the classics, with Plant The Seed, All I Hear and The Greatest Escape showing the band are willing to pull from every corner of their discography tonight.

“This one’s more tender” says Starkie ahead of Lay Your Troubles On Me, which gets off to a false start initially due to the band all laughing at a joke from the audience aimed at bassist Jim Ryan. When it does get going it’s a spellbinding rendition, Starkie’s vocals particularly goosebump-inducing tonight. Another live debut for Little White Lies also gets off to a shaky start, as Starkie struggles to get his acoustic guitar amplified. After an audience jokes to “put £10 in the meter”, guitarist Kurtis Starkie eventually manages to get it working for his brother. The new song again sounds fantastic, showing great promise for the upcoming record.

“That one was very new, this one’s very old” says Starkie, before launching into the anthemic Sirens from their 2011 self-titled debut. It gets a big reception, as does All The Idols and recent single Technofear. “Are you enjoying the new tunes then?” he asks at the latter song’s conclusion, to which the audience replies with a resounding, “YES!”

The crowd then get their singing voices out for a sensational run that includes three of their biggest songs from different eras: Afterlife, You Opened Up My Heart and Forever In Your Debt. “This is our final new one of the night – we did f**k this up in soundcheck!” says Starkie, warning the crowd that it might sound a bit rough. Thankfully it’s the polar opposite, with Boy So Blue the big standout of the unreleased new tracks tonight. It’s wonderfully atmospheric and synth-soaked, with the stage turning a deep blue to further amplify the song’s message. The band then finish their main set on their popular, politically charged anthem, On The TV.

The ”READERRRRS!” chants ring out again, fans enthusiastically calling for an encore. The band grant their wish, gifting three more big hitters: I Saw A Ghost, Knowledge Freedom Power and finally, a euphoric Lunatic.

“We’ll see you next year!” says Starkie cryptically as the band leave the stage, perhaps hinting at a return to Nottingham sooner than we might expect…

The Slow Readers Club performed at Rescue Rooms on 28th November 2024, with support from Glass Caves.

@theslowreadersclub