Music > Live Reviews

Declan McKenna

The Adrian Flux Waterfront

31/10/17

I’m 47. I think it’s important that we get that out there before we start. Not that my thoughts on Declan’s McKenna’s latest Norwich visit aren’t valid, just that my take on the night may be very different from 99% of the audience.

My reason for going was to accompany my teenage daughter, although naturally we wouldn’t be enjoying the gig together, she’d be in the midst of all the excitement, whereas I would be observing from the margins, not a position I normally inhabit. Before we get to Declan though, first we had FEET, an indie rock band from Coventry, who are currently promoting their debut single release. With a sound that owes a lot to the Strokes, but also reminding me of more recent UK bands I’ve seen over the past couple of years – Spring King and Get Inuit for example, their set was quite entertaining. It took the crowd a few songs to get into it, and needed some encouragement from the band, but by the time they ended with Petty Thieving plenty of new fans had been made – my daughter being one of them.

The audience was almost entirely female at this show, almost entirely teenage and the atmosphere all night was one of sweetness, excitement and positivity. I have to say I get a real kick being a part of events like this, so great to see music still having the power to really mean something in an age of so many other distractions. Declan McKenna’s rise has been something approaching meteoric since he first appeared in 2015, fairly remarkable given that he is still just 18 years old. There’s lots to admire about his sound, and his debut album, What Do You Think About the Car?, is not without its highlights. Backed expertly by a four piece band, and launching straight into one of his best songs, The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home, I couldn’t fail to be impressed. Declan exuded confidence and star quality, the lighting was excellent and the sound was satisfyingly loud. Sporting a Heinz baked beans t-shirt, provoking an ongoing, and not entirely successful joke about being sponsored by them, the adoring crowd was in raptures. His standout songs were great expressions of joy – Humungous, Isombard, Paracetamol and an extended Brazil were all excellent. I have to say though the songs that drift by on the album, did the same in a live setting, and whilst the crowd were really into it, away from the main action there were also fans who looked not quite so entranced. The atmosphere was nowhere near as heated as at the AJ Tracey show I saw last week if I was to compare my two most recent youthful music nights – partly due to the lack of teenage testosterone in the room I guess.

I like Declan, he is clearly talented, and he obviously cares about his fans – stopping the show at one point as a young attendee was helped over the barriers. It’s quite hard to do something new within the field of indie rock, but he is doing it as well as anyone else around at the moment. Signed poster and t-shirt purchased we made our way home and I asked Daughter how she had found the night. She enjoyed it, but loving the album as much as she does was also a bit disappointed by how the live sound didn’t do the studio sound justice. When asked to compare it to some of the gigs she’s been to in this, her first year of live music, I felt an enormous sense of admiration when she said – not as good Flaming Lips, KRS-One or Loyle Carner. That’s my girl.