Photo Credit: Mollie McKay
Words: Skye Whitfield
Lapping round the students union, fans gather in excitable bunches in the final minutes before doors are opened for NIEVE ELLA’s first headline show in Leeds. Selling out the Stylus at the heart of the University of Leeds Campus, NIEVE claimed that she’s “so happy to be back”, and that the first time she ever performed there, there was barely anyone in comparison to the crowd on this night.
With lace outfits and eye-catching bows, NIEVE ELLA fans decorated the walkways of the student’s union, eager to enter the doorway to the venue.
Streaming into the Stylus, the crowd quickly filled up. The hour between doors and the first support act was filled with popular modern hits, from the likes of Inhaler, Fontaine’s D.C, Sabrina Carpenter and Wunderhorse, allowing the gathering to indulge in their night of musical celebration. With some fans waiting months for this event, the anticipation was palpable, with friendly chatter and squeals of excitement parallel to the background music.
Walking onto the stage, KEO settled onto the stage with powerful guitar-fuelled songs, lead singer Finn Keogh devoted himself to portraying the lyrical storylines of the songs that layered the bands set. Instrumentals provided by Conor (bassist), Oli (drums), and Jimmy (guitarist), build alongside the vocals, rugged and fierce as the crowd move in time with the melody. Continuous loud chants of the bands name from gig-goers towards the back of the venue carry out, conveying that the band have definitely gained some passionate fans.
NIEVE ELLA strutted to the stage with a commanding demeanour. Darkened lights and teasing plays of the band’s instruments set the crowd alight with a blazing hunger for the show to begin. ‘Anything’ starts the night off, fresh from her recent EP ‘Watch It Ache And Bleed’, a heartfelt testimony of admiration and desperation towards someone in her life.
A compilation of songs that follow through her musical career bring the audience on a journey of emotions, with some fans from the very beginning in the crowd and singing the lyrics proudly. Songs that haven’t been released were even teased, ‘Good Grace’, is vigorous and self-assured, a confident NIEVE shreds her guitar along with the rhythm. Tracks such as ‘The Reason’ and ‘Glasshouses’ bring members of the crowd to tears, a depiction of its raw and relatable meaning. High energy pulsates within the room as Nieve and her band; Matt Garnett, Fran Larkin and Finn Marlow elongate her popular track ‘Ganni Top (She Gets What She Needs)’, captivating the crowd in the female-empowerment celebration.
Re-entering the stage with an encore of ‘His Sofa’ and ‘Sugarcoated’, NIEVE encourages her Leeds fans to join her in ending the night on a high note. Egging on a healthy competition of trying to be the most energetic crowd, with a teasing mention of mosh pits at previous shows, the crowd jump and dance around, filling up the space with a memorable happiness that any artist should revel in.
Listen to Nieve Ella’s most recent EP ‘Watch It Ache And Bleed’ HERE.
Taped Magazine 