Three-piece rock group False Heads delivered an exceptional set at Sidney and Matilda on the 14th of October. The London-based trio are promoting their second album, Sick Moon – their first record to enter the UK charts, as it currently stands at #18 in the Independent Chart and #28 in the Vinyl Chart.
From their set, it’s easy to see why they are gaining momentum – their raw energy and power dominates the crowd, especially in an intimate setting like Sidney and Matilda. This venue was converted from a warehouse in an old industrial sector of Sheffield city centre, and boasts a brilliantly atmospheric bar serving local craft beers and ciders. The gig space is in a basement below the bar with low ceilings and unmatched acoustics. It’s an intimate venue where you can stand nose-to-nose with the band themselves – and it’s the perfect setting for a group like False Heads, who interact with the audience fantastically.
Vocalist and guitarist Luke Griffiths never loses momentum – he jumps around the stage and into the audience, waving his guitar and mic around and beckoning audience members to sing along into the mic, before throwing the mic away and rolling down onto the ground with a solo. This is pure punk-rock at its finest – a loud, non-stop set that gets the audience extremely pumped, dancing and thrashing to every track.
The set was short, but they also took no breaks, transitioning from one track to the next. It’s this kind of energy that makes them worth seeing live – it’s an experience that can’t be matched by listening to a record. When Griffiths is jumping into the crowd and captivating everyone around him to crouch down to the ground and jump up with him as the music crescendos, it’s an unbeatable experience. The trio were supposedly mentored by former Ramones manager Danny Fields, and claim to have been championed by Iggy Pop himself – this old-school punk influence is evident in their sound and antics.
Equally impressive were the supporting acts. Wolforna, a four-piece rock group from Leeds, recounted that they were originally an acoustic trio – and the last time they played in Sheffield, they had played to ‘only the bar staff’, seemingly thrilled to have a packed audience in front of them. Their guitar work was impressive, making skillful use of sudden, split-second stops and resumptions.
The second supporting act, Weekend Recovery, are a rock trio local to Sheffield. Vocalist and Guitarist Lori was particularly eye-catching with their vibrant zebra-patterned flares and bright red guitar. Her vocal performance was exceptional, mixing amusing Sheffield-isms with powerful punk-rock screams and yells. ‘I Don’t Like You Anyway’, a song about humorously dealing with rejection, was particularly dry and witty. This band play regularly in Sheffield and are absolutely worth seeing. Their third album will release in May next year.
False Heads’ second album, Sick Moon, is available on vinyl, CD, cassette and streaming services now.
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