Amber Run played Rescue Rooms in support of their debut album 5AM
Amber Run returned to Nottingham mid-way through their UK tour to a sold-out crowd in the city where the band first met, in a venue where two members used to bar-tend. They were joined by Meadowlark and Rhodes for the adventure, all of them eager to celebrate Amber Run's début Top Forty album that was released the week before.
The crowd began cheering before all members of Meadlowlark even made it to the stage; everyone was eager to see the bands who came so highly recommended by the headline act. The timid duo tested the waters, easing the audience into the night at hand and Kate McGill’s soft melodic voice was well complemented by the carefully measured beat of the drum.
“We’re called Meadowlark, thank you for having us,” she said, rather tentatively. Their second song needed a second attempt but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. “I heard Nottingham is the rowdiest city in the UK… but you’re all very polite” guitarist Daniel Broadley comments, before going into a new song that bled with melancholy.
Little Boxes was a song that Kate McGill played on her own, explaining how she wrote it when her friend came out last year and had a “really, really, really rough time.” This track broke my heart in seconds, and I think the rest of the room felt it too. Meadowlark were showing us emotional depth in their song writing, being able to connect with a room full of strangers with only a handful of songs.
They finished the set with Fly, asking Nottingham to sing along with them. The impromptu choir seemed reluctant at first but managed strong harmonies with the band in time for the final chorus.
Before long we met Rhodes, a singer-songwriter who brought his own band along for the tour. They looked the part with their messy hair and smart shoes, patiently checking their own instruments before Rhodes himself came out on stage. The opening notes of the first song brought the chattering crowd to complete silence.
Breathe was a solo performance played midway through their set and Rhodes’ band waited calmly beside him on the stage, eyes closed, barely moving an inch. It was if they were hearing the song for the first time, as we were, taking in each note so completely.
It was when Rhodes’ band were packing up when I noticed the lights. The seven tall pillars that lined the back of the stage looked capable of causing temporary blindness, but instead created a heavenly glow across the room, mimicking the artwork from Amber Run’s recently released album 5AM.
At exactly 9pm Amber Run walked on to the stage; Felix Archer was already hitting the drums before the rest of the band had found their instruments. See You Soon was the first song of the set, its eerie melodies echoed in the blue stage lights.
The stage turned red for Pilot and it suddenly felt too hot; the increase in tempo woke everyone up and the crowd were shouting the lyrics back to Joseph Keogh with fierce honesty. “We're a band called Amber Run,” Joe tells us, as if we didn't already know, “and apparently we have a Top Forty album.” The response from the crowd was deafening.
The instrumental tracks of the album weren't ignored, either, as C.F was used to introduce 5AM. Joe talked over it, telling the Rescue Rooms it was “a fucking pleasure” to be playing there that night, mentioning his past employment at the venue.
The night ended with the anthemic Heaven and Noah, and the roaring response from the crowd almost overwhelmed the band. Amber Run have lit the spark, and fire is catching.
Amber Run played at the Rescue Rooms on Tuesday 28 April 2015.
Amber Run's website
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