Chinese Football / National Opera / Sorrell
The Firebug, Leicester – 25/08/2023
While much of the mainstream media directs their spotlight towards London, there’s often far more interesting things happening away from its glare, with Leicester being a prime example. There’s a healthy scene bubbling away here and Sorrell, self-described purveyors of “diet emo”, are one of a current crop of bands keeping heartbreak alive and their sublime, cinematic sound soon casts a spell over the venue. With a solid rhythm section, guitars soaring, and a vocalist delivering a Morrissey-like wail, there’s a lot to like about this combo, especially when they let rays of light flood in, and tonight’s set bodes well for their forthcoming EP.
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National Opera are another Leicester-based band who have a dreamlike quality, and they’re a rather pleasant tangle of opposites. Taking influence from the early pioneers of electronica (OMD, Japan) and adding a modern dance edge makes each track they play a real earworm. In fact, such is the buoyant nature of their set, that there’s a tangible sadness filling the air when songs such as ‘Feed The Sun’ end, but don’t worry…there’s another banger to follow hot on its heels! Tapping into a similar aesthetic as Sarpa Salpa, National Opera soon get the whole crowd bobbing in unison, and despite (or perhaps because of) some fine “dad dancing” you get the feeling the band wouldn’t look out of place on the world’s biggest stages. They’ve certainly got the songs to take them there.
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Following their triumphant set on the main stage at this year’s ArcTanGent festival, Wuhan’s Chinese Football head out on a UK tour. Attesting to the buzz surrounding the band, tonight’s gig sold out in double quick time, and a huge cheer heralds their arrival and opening track ‘Dog’s Diary’ only serves to adhere them to all those present. Chinese Football aren’t the kind of band to rely upon fancy gimmicks; it’s just four people playing music and it is a sparse approach that compliments the uncluttered nature of their music. Nevertheless, they demand your full attention and every pair of eyes are turned towards the stage as they take us on a journey that touches all points of a decade long career. A few equipment issues (broken snares and snapped strings) can’t stop the band, and the crowd seems to get rowdier as their set continues, even resulting in a stage dive (quite a rarity at an emo gig). ‘Flying Flash’ is the closer, yet the band return for a well-earned encore, and on an already humid night ‘No 10 Jersey’ raises the temperature a few degrees and brings the band’s UK jaunt to a fitting conclusion.
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Review and photos by Peter Dennis