Amrit Virdi took a trip to Rock City to see Nottingham-bred band Amber Run perform…
Amber Run will forever have a deep connection to Nottingham as they laid their roots here when Joe Keogh, Tom Sperring and Henry Wyeth met during their time at University and formed the band. This made their return to Nottingham’s Rock City even more special, as they’d previously expressed their love for the venue to LeftLion in an interview which was included in our March issue.
Getting in early to see the support acts can sometimes be a wrong call, but it was certainly worth it in this instance. Michael Blackwell performed a stellar acoustic set, with a great rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark, and Myles Smith followed with an electrifying set supported by his band which got the whole crowd hyped for the main act, paired with some sombre moments as he himself cried during one of his emotional tracks. With the support acts putting on a show as great as this, it set standards high for Amber Run.
And the main stars of the night did not disappoint. Opening the show with The Beautiful Victorious, a song dedicated to their fans, their talent was clear as their renditions sounded almost identical to their studio versions. Given the sombre tone of much of their music, it was impressive how they managed to keep the tone upbeat throughout the set and get the crowd singing along, particularly in fan favourites Noah and Honeylight.
The setlist jumped between older and newer tracks from their four studio albums, and the hour and a half set flew by. Frontman Joe’s vocals did not falter, and had their moment to shine in emotive ballads, including Amen. The band as a whole worked throughout the set to bounce off of each other’s energy, which resulted in flawless, rock-inspired moments of instrumentation, bringing the production of some tracks up a notch. You can tell they’re seasoned performers who know how to put on a show.
The crowd interaction made for moments of humour, particularly as one die-hard fan took the opportunity many times to profess her love for each individual member from the crowd. You could tell the band are appreciative of their fans, as despite being kicked off in time for the 10pm curfew after playing TikTok hit I Found, they encouraged fans to meet them outside to sign merchandise and have a chat, something which bands of their calibre rarely do nowadays.
Amber Run were a band on my bucket list of gigs, and now they’re a band I’d love to see again. If you get the chance, catch Amber Run on their tour – you certainly won’t regret it.
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