Embarking on the second night of their headline tour, and impressively their 90th gig of the year, Reading four-piece The Amazons take to, arguably, Sheffield’s most famous venue, The Leadmill. Steeped in decades of history and notable performances from the likes of The Killers, The Libertines and, Sheffield’s finest, The Arctic Monkeys, the 1980s music venue tonight plays host to another indie-rock band whose energy and passion could, in the not too distant future, see them upgrading and playing Sheffield Arena.
Opening with early single Ultraviolet, the crowd instantly set the tone for the night, as a mosh pit appears in the sold-out 900-capacity venue. This becomes a regular occurrence throughout the night, as does hundreds of denim jacket laden fans singing along word for word to almost every song off the album; an impressive feat given that it has only been out for four months.
Despite this gig being their biggest headline show to date, it is sometimes hard to tell whether the indie-rockers are enjoying this momentous occasion as they show little emotion throughout the night. A few comments from lead singer Matt Thomson suggests that they are enjoying themselves and appreciate the enthusiastic reaction from the crowd, but they are few and far between.
A highlight of the set comes in the form of a cover of the Tom Petty classic Free Fallin’, in memory of the American rocker who passed away just the day before. The crowd sing along word for word in the chorus, helping out Thomson who’s accompanied by just his acoustic guitar. It is a poignant moment and a lovely tribute to a real hero of the band.
The crowd’s energy and enthusiasm for the four-piece never falters as the band rattle through hits Black Magic, Little Something and In My Mind. With constant jumping, moshing and singing, the audience members use every bone in their body to show their love for this band.
It comes as no surprise that single Junk Food Forever closes the successful, sweaty night. As soon as the introduction finishes, the crowd erupts into the anthemic woahs which leaves Thomson grinning. The classic trio of jumping, moshing and singing reaches its peak in this finale, along with the odd crowd surfer for good will. Despite being in a small venue, the atmosphere throughout the final track mirrors one of a successful festival performance, and with the amazing reaction from tonight’s gig, a slot on the Pyramid Stage won’t be too far off for these lads.
Music Of The Moment 