"An unforgettable Favourite Days memory"
As part of the inaugural Favourite Days festival, which recently took over venues across Liverpool, Yard Act took to Liverpool Olympia for their final UK performance of the year! Whether it was the hype of a festival headline slot, the excitement of knowing they won't be playing again soon (as frontman James Smith joked "We've finally made enough money not to work for 6 months"), or the grandeur of the historical venue, they were on fine form. They explored the sounds of both of their records in equal measure, elevating every track and injecting an added live vibrancy compared to the recorded songs.
They first took things back to the very start of their journey, opening with the cult classic 'Dark Days' that first shot them into the spotlight. The Katy J Pearson collaboration 'When The Laughter Stops' came next and really stood out in the set list. It was a performance that combined the slick Post-Punk guitar tendencies of their debut album with the funky qualities and bright melodies of their new record wonderfully. The vocal combinations between James Smith and the incredible backing singers Lauren Fitzpatrick and Daisy J.T. Smith really highlighted the benefits of the band's new live set up which has gained new members for touring the new album. It brought an instant energy to the room and had many moving down from the seated areas above to the main standing section below so they could dance.
A mid-set highlight was undoubtedly the 8-minute long Indie-Funk synth jam of 'The Trench Coat Museum'. The first few minutes showcased the tangled lyrical musings and brilliant imaginings of James Smith as he retells the history of the trench coat with his usual wit and phonetical trickery. However, the song really comes into its own when it breaks down into a 5-minute groove filled with intertwining riffs, crazy electro textures and a choreographed dance from Lauren Fitzpatrick and Daisy J.T. Smith that you just can't take your eyes off. By the end of this track, there wasn't one person in sight not dancing.
'Payday', 'We Make Hits' and 'The Overload' were high-energy peaks in the set that resulted in scrappy moshpits and chanted chorus' before they closed the set with the more contemplative, heartwarming finisher '100% Endurance'.
We thought this truly was the end of the show...the lights came on, the music started to play through the speakers and the crowd began to leave the venue. However, a small band of die hard fans remained at the front of the barrier, chanting "we want more" and "one more song" incessantly for a good 10-15 minutes. You could see that even the sound engineers looked a little bemused and uncertain, checking for glances from backstage. But eventually, the commitment paid off and Yard Act reemerged for what was the most genuine encore we have ever experienced.
A little thrown off themselves, the band discussed what to play and decided on 'Rich', their first performance of the track on this tour. They then ended on 'Trapper's Pelts' a thumping finale that had what was left of the crowd bouncing up and down once more. This authenticity of this encore made the night even more special and left us with an unforgettable Favourite Days memory, of which we hope there will be many more in years to come.
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