The Claremonts/Ivory wave/Maruja @ Night People-20 October 2018

Don't let the amount of time a band has been together fool you, because sometimes they can be the best bands to see. The Claremonts are one of the good ones which was certainly shown at this show.With support from two quite different bands compared to their own music it was certainly one to remember.

The first act on the bill were Ivory Wave, who at first didn't start off with a big crowd, however, they were only the first act and people were just arriving. Those already there were nodding along to the band, so they are engaging somewhat in the beginning. They started off with 'Frankie' which was a good start as it seemed to boost the crowd's energy a bit and bring a few more people in,'Pale Moonlight' was upbeat, with a funky sound similar to that of scruff of the neck band The Bright Black due to the guitar riffs,it was a big hit with the crowd however and had people moving side to side. Up next was the lead singers favourite song 'Gold' with was understandable due to its good rhythm, and the fact the band were dancing in synchronisation with the song.

One of the strongest songs in the set was 'Step on the beat' not only was it well performed the crowd seemed to love it.

Throughout the band made casual conversation with the crowd, similar to the type you would have with an old mate, and also they had some inside jokes about where they were from, Birmingham, and had good banter about it.

Their final song was their newest release 'Club' which was certainly memorable, it was a good cool down song for the end of the set, it had the crowd's attention from the first beat as well as a good mix of guitars and electronics.

Overall, a good band song wise and crowd engagement, however, they didn't have a massive stage presence, which could be down to their personalities or what they are going for, or even just nerves, an excellent Band in terms of song performance though.

Next on the bill were Maruja, who are certainly not your average band. As they were setting up there seemed to be many of their fans in the crowd, and that many people had come to see them.

their set woke the crowd up very quickly, through the intro they had quite a few members of the crowd moving along to the music. From the beginning you knew they were not your average indie band, not only did they have a saxophone player but they also had an interesting mix of indie and ska in their music.

They were an incredibly energetic band when they got into the music and seemed to be running on pure adrenaline and musical passion. Maruja were one of those bands which seem like they wouldn't go together however they did sound somewhat put together, especially with their mixed set list of chilled and groovy songs. Although as great as they were to some the majority of the crowd didn't engage with the band well as it was something quite different to the other two bands.

The lead singer did also seem a bit drunk but that could easily be down to misinterpretation. By the end of the show they did win over most of the crowd, it did take them a while to engage fully with the crowd. Their final song 'its a naughty one' had the band completely lost in the music.

Overall, they were a little confusing but they were very passionate about their performance.

The final act of the night and headliner The Claremonts were next on the bill. As the band walked on stage the crowd went wild with cheers and chants of the band's name, the crowd had been waiting for them. They had a strong start with 'I don't want to talk to you tonight' which the crowd responded well to from the jump. there was a similar reaction from the fans to 'Clever than ever' which was quite upbeat and encouraged the crowd to dance and move along to the tune.'Get away, get away' had the crowd singing along and jumping along to the song, filled with energy and excitement. Up next was their newest single, which was released the same day as the show, 'Surprise, Surprise' was a crowd favourite, with them singing every word and cheering for the band. The band moved onto a more bitter tone with their song 'What Became' which was described by lead singer Finn as 'a break up song',which added something new to their set and also showed that it's not all glitter and rainbows in relationships and from the crowds reaction it seemed that they could relate to the subject of the song.

Throughout the set, the band thanked the crowd multiple times for coming especially since they were one of the reasons the band got to where they were. They were incredibly engaging with the crowd, in fact, encouraging chants and talking to them. You could see the band enjoying themselves watching the crowd at some points the band would smile hearing the crowd singing along which was great to see.

'This is your life' seemed to be another song the crowd related to, singing along at the top of the lungs, which did drown out the vocals at times. They finished off their set with crowd favourite 'Roll the Dice' which was demanded by the crowd and also finished off their set well.

Overall, The Claremonts gave 110% to every song they performed and had constant energy. They have the potential to blow up onto the scene fast, not only with their music but with their strong, dedicated fanbase.

Another incredible night people show.