As Everything Unfolds/South Arcade/Darlah
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
9-2-2024
The Rescue Rooms has filled up quickly which benefits opening act Darlah who in turn throw everything including the kitchen sink at their 30 minute slot. Their brand of alt rock covers a broad spectrum with the vocals always on point and the music tight and fluent. The set of originals sits well alongside a cover of ‘Bring Me To Life’. You’d be hard pressed to tell this is a band with only a handful of gigs under their belts. On this showing they have a great future.
Bringing a bit of pop to the rock party are Oxford’s South Arcade who play like old pros while looking like they’re still at Uni. They own the Rescue Rooms stage, filling it with fine melodies and punchy rhythms. We get a cover here too, this time Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’ gets a guitar led make-over and is all the better for it. The aptly named Harmony Cavell is a little superstar leading from the front. She has great stage presence to go with a high quality voice. Remember the name South Arcade, they look like they could fly.
As Everything Unfolds are one of a number of bright promising acts currently proving the UK music scene is as vibrant as ever, if not more so. They’ve graced the stages of big festivals such as Download and have earned a reputation as solid performers. The real testament to how well they’re doing though is a nearly full venue on a less than inviting night in February. Often you’ll find this is where bands fall over, but not this one. This is a set full of big riffs, powerful vocals and stellar stage craft. While the metal edge of the music cuts it’s the diversity behind it that carries the weight that makes As Everything Unfolds so appealing. Tonight shows a band that is polished and professional, importantly it also shows they’re still having fun too.
Review and photos by Gary Trueman