Photo Credit: James Mirfield
Words: Sophie Thompson

The Guest List embarked on the seaside city for a euphoric Saturday night at Kola, a brand-new beach side venue which opened in April 2025. The night showed the future of UK indie with rising bands Shale and Coast proving exactly why they are ones to watch. 

Fresh off the release of their latest single ‘Something Real’ as well as their EP which was released late last year. The Manchester band show no signs of slowing down as they take on a headline tour across a series of intimate venues across the UK before they venture onto batch of festivals over the UK. 

Cardiff four-piece indie rock band Shale were the first band of the night bringing an undeniable surge of energy. Despite being a relatively young band they performed with the confidence of seasoned professionals. Opening their set with a cover of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Rock and Roll’ and it was all rock and roll in their 30-minute set. Their rockstar energy was increased when they dedicated one moment to “everyone that works too hard” a sentiment which certainly resonated with the Portsmouth crowd. Tracks like ‘Fuzzy Identities’ and ‘Made with Love’ showcased a softer side to the Cardiff group accompanied by beautiful vocals leaving the room in silence. Ending their set with “Get Ready to Dance” and the crowd certainly was as lead singer Samuel Hale pulled out a harmonica and truly let loose on the stage giving one final surge of energy. 

Next up were Portsmouth’s very own Coast, who made the night feel like their own homecoming celebration. Opening their set with ‘This Time’ they immediately had the crowd at their side. Fronted by 18-year-old Niall McClean whose stage presence far exceeds his young age. The hometown crowd sang back every word despite it not being their headline show. The setlist included their latest single Can You Feel Me Breathe’ as well as the next single ‘Disappear’. Their hit ‘Feel Surreal’ got the crowd moving and it inevitably felt surreal to have a crowd of 300 people in your hometown singing your song back to you. Coast made a compelling case that it won’t be long till they follow in The Guest List’s footsteps and become one of the Uk’s most exciting emerging talents. 

Then came the moment the eager Portsmouth crowd had waited all night for, The Guest List finally took to the stage opening their set with the fan favourite ‘Loose Tongue’. The Manchester band was only formed 5 years ago, and, in that time, they have already supported the likes of Blossoms, Inhaler and The Wombats this experience evident in every second of their set. The fans really took in every second of being able to see the rising stars in such an intimate venue. 

Theres a sense that the five-piece group have physically and metaphorically outgrown these small venues, at times barely fitting onto the small stage yet delivering a performance far beyond the room. Consisting of Cai Aity (lead vocals), Tom Quigley (lead guitar), Leio Hunter (rhythm guitar), Sid Wallace (bass) and Angus Gilchrist 

(drums) have gone from strength to strength in recent years following their headline tour late last year and including a headline show at Manchester’s New Century Hall playing to a crowd of over 1,000 people in their hometown. 

Standout moments in their set included ‘161’ and ‘Canada’ where the crowd really became a part of the performance. Their setlist also included the latest single ‘Something Real’ as well as a new song ‘You Should Care’ which they announced is set to be released on May 1st. The announcements did not stop coming as they announced the release of their debut album set to arrive on August 28th.

The show marked a major milestone moment for The Guest List as it was their first debut performance in Portsmouth and it definitely won’t be their last. Closing the night was ‘Weatherman’ a song which they wrote about the fastening impact of climate change which combines electric energy with poignant message which linger far beyond the final note.