Off the back of their debut album ‘Elsewhere, Always’, Overpass shared their release with the capital for an intimate gig at Rough Trade East. Known for their arena-sized indie rock anthems, the midland quartet played a stripped back show in their run of in-store dates, to adoring fans who knew every word of the debut release. Rough Trade East sits at the heart of Brick Lane, and provided the perfect backdrop for a personal show with the fans, many receiving vinyl records of the album upon entry with an opportunity to have theirs signed after the show.
Once the band hit the stage, the Rough Trade audience were already in their hands. Cheers surrounded the room, with phones and even cam-recorders out ready to capture the celebration of music by the capital’s new favourite band. Lead single ‘Union Station’ kicked off the evening, with reactions confirming that no one in attendance were discovering the music for the first time. ‘Is This Real?’ and ‘Fall in Love’ shortly followed, the stripped back nature of the performance allowed lead singer Max Newbold’s vocals to shine through, sharing the lyrics with the fans in their purest form.
The band was stripped back entirely for a personal rendition of ‘Bonnie & Clyde Pt. 2’, with only Newbold and his guitar on stage, defining the most emotional point of the set. Newbold allowed the crowd to take over at various points in the songs’ chorus, highlighting it as a fan-favourite that really resonated with the Rough Trade audience. The soft stage lighting reflected the tones of the album’s cover, which perfectly focused all eyes forward, contributing to the sense of community felt at this performance.
Tracks ‘Forever You’ and ‘Spinning’ raised the energy as the band returned to Newbold on stage, and the crowd jumped in unison once again. Lead guitarist Elliot Rawling was able to excel in penultimate track ‘Get Up!’, with the sliding guitar riff cutting through the venue before ending with the popular single ‘Heaven’. Every track was treated by their London fans like an all-time classic, and after praised supporting sets before this release, the band are ready for the festival season and their very own headline tour across the UK and Europe. A tour from a band not to be missed.
Written by Eoin Moffatt