Hollywood star Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Six Feet Under) brought his star studded indie machine through Nottingham, but did they deliver?
The day set the atmosphere, with snow still lingering on the ground, the city quiet on a frozen Sunday.
Despite this, a queue formed outside Rescue Rooms of diehard fans, wearing merchandise and sporting painted faces.
Though their breath hung in the air in front of them they were full of energy, ready for a unique night ahead.
Up first was Beija Flo, a solo artist from Essex.
Her set brought a provocative energy, with her outfit of a black leotard, fishnet tights and red, knee high boots complementing the lyrical content of her original songs.
She blasted through her half an hour set with 6 perfectly paced singles, with ballads such as Mary breaking up some of her more energetic tracks.
She finished up on her latest single, Heads or Tails, and left the stage to an applause that could’ve come from a room twice as busy.
Once her set had finished and the audience had settled, the sounds of Bombed Out Sites, the first song on the bands 2021 debut album THANKS FOR COMING, played through the PA system.
First, drummer Peter Yanowitz, formerly of The Wallflowers and Morningwood, took his seat and gently hit his crash cymbal.
A moment passed before the bands keyboard/bassist Matt Katz-Bohen, of Blondie fame, took to the stage and parked himself behind his keyboard.
Finally, after another moment of waiting, Michael C Hall, known as an actor for his titular role as the namesake in Dexter and the 2021 miniseries Dexter: New Blood, squatted at the back of the stage surveying the crowd.
The band paint a juxtaposing picture, with Yanowitz in a shiny silver headband and matching tights that channel the 80’s rock influence behind some of their songs.
Katz-Bohen, who’s daughter came up with the name for the band, stood in a ripped black jumper with his long, black hair opposing the brightness sat behind the drums.
Hall was dressed the most unassumingly, sitting and observing the crowd in a simple blue grandad shirt, brown slacks and crocs, with slithers of face paint bringing the stage look together.
They launched straight into their latest single, Too Cool To Care, as the crowd burst with life as Hall stood up and grabbed his microphone.
Proud and loud indie rock blared through the PA system and the fans loved it.
The band continued on straight into their next song, Sideways, with a thumping bassline that pulsed through to the back of the room, with powerful harmonies bellowing between Hall and Yanowitz and with no-nonsense thumping drums.
The set continued with the next bass driven, high octane track Angela Peacock, keeping the audience moving and lively.
After this Hall finally addressed the crowd with a humble “Thank you” and a wry smile, before talking about last years self titled EP and this years full length album THANKS FOR COMING, and launching into the albums title track.
Ambient synthscapes filled the room, with the main vocal delicately pirouetting around the swaying audience.
More relaxed, scaled back songs followed as the band play Moodrama and go immediately into two new, unreleased tracks.
The band announced there were two songs left as the audience bellowed their love to Hall, who quickly quipped “I love you more” back at one enthusiastic gentleman in the front row.
Nevertheless was the bands penultimate song, with unsettling harmonies and a minimalistic instrumental droning, creating an intense visual with Halls facials telling a story throughout the song.
One final “Thank you and thanks for coming” and the keyboard for final song, Come Talk To Me, started playing.
The fans danced, sung and soaked up the live atmosphere for the final time in the night, as Halls extremely powerful falsetto voice rang through the room.
The band then took a bow and lest to a wall of cheers, bringing to a close the show, a mix of retro and modern, exciting and subdued, lively yet relaxing.
