Photo + Words: Nikisha Garrett

Opening the night, experimental avant-garde trio Voka Gentle delivered an energising performance of highly immersive soundscapes that set the tone for the evening to follow. Consisting of identical twins Ellie and Imogen Mason, and Imogen’s husband, William J. Stokes, the band initiated a kinetic adrenaline within the room ahead of headliners, GANS taking to the stage.

GANS brought a surreal, electric energy to The Bullingdon from the moment they stepped on stage, greeted by a roar from the anticipating crowd.

The Black Country band, consisting of friends Thomas Rhodes, Euan Woodman, and recent addition Tommy Lawther, launched straight into the set, kicking the energy off at a high with their opening song, ‘A Fool’. Despite the diverse age demographic, the audience joined together, throwing their hands into the air and bouncing to the bold vocals and powerful musical performance.

The stage glowed between vibrant reds and deep blues, the venue bursting with invigorating energy that continued throughout the songs that followed. The ferocious atmosphere in the room was branded by Rhodes as “the best crowd yet.”

Transforming personal experiences of mental health struggles and lived hardship into deeply personal anthems, the performance felt both cathartic and communal. Drummer and vocalist Woodman moved between his drum-set and the front of the stage, interacting with the audience throughout the set, before later crowd-surfing into the audience. By this point, the feeling in the room was electric.

Positioned further towards the back of the stage, Lawther brought the tones of saxophone and flute throughout the set, with his instrumental performance feeling deeply absorbing and trance-like. Whether leaning back into the noise or becoming lost within the rhythm, his presence added another immersive layer to the performance unfolding at the front of the stage.

Not ready to leave just yet, the band briefly disappeared offstage before returning with their final song, ‘The King’s Head‘. Carrying the feeling of a defiant anthem, the crowd’s chants bounced back toward Rhodes, who introduced the closing track with the words, “It’s easier to love than hate,” while pacing back and forth across the stage.

The vibrant atmosphere left in the room when the band disembarked the stage clearly demonstrated that GANS’ performance didn’t just immerse the crowd, but consumed the room entirely.

Photo Credit: Nikisha Garrett