Live: The Sherlocks @ Sheffield University Foundry, Sheffield

The Sherlocks were back in town on Friday night with their infectious good-mood beats and heavy riffs. It had been a while since I had seen them and like the sell out crowd, I was looking forward to their set and those of the supporting acts Oddity Road and Sundance. 

Like a ray of sunshine, Sundance brought interesting new sounds to the Sheffield University Foundry with a mixture of 4/4 and 7/8 beats, combining fun alternative pop with upbeat bluesy reggae vibes. Although not expecting to play to such a large crowd – the sold out Foundry was filling up fast – Sundance more than rose to the occasion with their well-crafted alternative stoner rock, winning the crowd over in no time.

With a stage presence and vocal aggression of Zack de la Rocha, frontman Harry Walker delivered heartfelt vocals backed by an excellent group of musicians. There was a clear harmony between band members and when they manage to refine their sound a bit more they will be ones to watch.

With the venue now at capacity and the audience fully limbered up for an evening of jumping around, local up-and-comers Oddity Road took to the stage. Although most of the audience was there to see The Sherlocks, after Oddity Road’s first two songs Intro and Elope, the young, predominantly female audience could not stand still anymore and erupted into a pulsating sea of bobbing heads and raised arms.

Picking up the pace with Don’t Say, Nova, and their latest EP release You, the four A-level students from Hope Valley did not let up for a breather and kept the energy levels at 11. Ending their set on their popular song Handshake, new fans were certainly won on Friday evening. The four multi-instrumentalists will be back at Sheffield Student Union on 7 April, with no doubt another sterling performance.

Sporting big grins on their faces and to the roaring shouts and whistles of the audience, The Sherlocks walked onto stage in complete darkness. With the first drumbeat of Last Night, the lights lit up and the crowd went wild. It had been a while since The Sherlocks played in their home town and their fanbase was out in numbers, singing along to all of their songs.

The alternative indie rock quartet from Sheffield chose to play in their hometown on the return leg of their almost entirely sold out UK tour, which kicked off in Inverness on 1 February and saw three extra dates added for shows in Glasgow, London, and Leeds in April.

In there relative short four-year history, The Sherlocks have managed to become a household name for solid pumping indie rock. This is largely due to lead singer Kiaran Crook’s gritty vocals, heartfelt lyrics of personal experiences and their arsenal of instant festival anthems.

Following their opening songs Last Night, Escapage and Nobody Knows the relentless wave of hits continued with last year’s EP release Will You Be There? and Candlelight before turning it up with Heart of Gold. The memorable chorus helped keeping the crowd engaged with the music. It is impressive that The Sherlocks have amassed such a loyal following, given that they are yet to release a full studio album.

Kiaran Crook of The Sherlocks (Gunnar Mallon)

Brandon Crook’s smashing beats and Andy Davidson’s deep evenly-paced bass lines made it impossible to stand still during any of The Sherlocks’ songs and before you know it, you are jumping around with the rest of the crowd. Their fast-paced indie rock vibes can only be likened to a relentlessly pouncing musical tiger that does not let up but hits you with thump after thump of musical delight.

The fifty minute set, which seemed to exhaust The Sherlocks’ repertoire, came to an end with Chasing Shadows, which they performed live in session at Maida Vale Studios for BBC Introducing in 2015.

The fun that every member of the audience had was clearly mirrored by the four artists on stage, who appeared to have the time of their lives, jumping around and joking with each other. The Sherlocks clearly know how to entertain and keep a crowd bouncing while maintaining positive vibes and an all-round party atmosphere.

There are only a few dates left on their tour that have yet to sell out. If you are in the mood for a fun evening of cracking memorable tunes, make sure to catch The Sherlocks on their current tour or at individual gigs later in the year.

Live Review & Photography by Gunnar Mallon.

The Sherlocks at Sheffield University Foundry, Sheffield, March 3rd 2017.