Photo Credit: James Mirfield

As their biggest UK tour to date was edging closer, The Lilacs were invited back to The Garrison in Barnsley as part of Independent Venue Week, extending the tour and giving fans one of the most intimate shows of their rescheduled tour which sold out in just a matter of hours.

Based just a stones throw away from the headliners were Warrington youngsters Freight. Easily the most pleasant set of lads that any stage has hosted, the smiles from all four members didn’t go away throughout their set. Making sure to entertain the crowd ahead of the remaining acts, the North West quartet were very prominent with crowd interaction after each song, and some comedic value came midway through their set as the venue’s snow machine randomly covered the front section of the crowd in between songs. Highlights included songs ‘Me‘ and ‘The Only Thing I Know‘ with them both being the best received on the night. The Barnsley crowd quickly grew into the Freight‘s presence as they stepped away from an almighty cheer which certainly warrants a return to the venue sometime in the near future.

Next up were Whitby’s Sunbeam. Having sold out numerous shows up and down the UK, this was familiar territory for the North Yorkshire lads. Stepping out on to the stage to a crowd now a few Sunday beers deep certainly livened up the room even more. Every song of theirs is a festival vibe, tracks such as ‘Hometown’ and ‘Stay for Me’ kept the crowd entertained, with a good portion singing along, showing they have fans in and around the southern Yorkshire parts. Their cover of Amy McDonald’s ‘This is the Life’ picked up the pace once again, with more from the audience joining in and setting the headliner up with a well and truly warmed up crowd.

Returning to The Garrison just four months on from their sold out headline slot at Garristonbury were The Lilacs. Drummer Dave Gomersall was the first of the four to appear on stage, kicking off with a drum solo that saw each member take up their positions. A roaring Barnsley crowd welcomed the foursome with huge cheers as they kicked off with ‘Where’ve You Been Hiding‘. Wasting no time in churning out the tunes, ‘By All Means’ and ‘Sticky Dancefloors’ kept the energy flowing. The crowd were easily one of the loudest the venue has hosted, with people jumping around from the floor, to the stairwell and balcony. The Lilacs were in full force.

The band exited the stage by the midway point, leaving Ollie to entertain Barnsley on his own. A surprise cover of ‘Don’t Marry Her’ allowed the crowd to join in, with acoustic renditions of ‘When Happy Hour Ends‘ and ‘That’s Not Me‘ before Sam, Dave and Matty returned to carry on the remainder of the show. Kicking things back off with ‘Red Flags and Warning Signs‘, the room was truly alive once again. Fan favourite ‘Sally‘ continues to be one of their best received songs live, no matter where they go.

As the band neared the end of their Barnsley return, ‘Hopeless Romantic‘, ‘Seen It All‘ and ‘You’re Not That Daft‘ eased the sadness of the night coming to a close, and for a Sunday night, people were definitely not thinking of going back to work just yet. ‘Grace‘ and ‘Vicarage Road‘ had the whole place singing at their loudest, concluded The Lilacs‘ triumphant South Yorkshire display and a great way to fill in an original day off all while supporting Independent Venue Week.