English indie rock band Lovejoy are taking the scene by storm and are impressively living up the hype that surrounds them and, in many ways, area also surpassing it! The band consists of members Mark Boardman, Joe Goldsmith, Ash Kabosu and front runner Wilbur Soot. Despite only forming as a band in May 2021, they already have a dedicated fanbase that arguably equals and rivals any chart topper in any genre. The band released their first EP ‘Are you alright?’ alongside their formation and their debut album ‘Pebble brain’ followed shortly after. With their combined online followings and flock of adoring fans it was no surprise to see that the band’s first leg of shows in the UK sell out in seconds as the Lovejoy group headed off to play some very special intimate shows across the country. We were lucky enough to catch Lovejoy as they took over Sheffield’s venue, The Leadmill for a sold-out show like no other. Support for the night came from the incredibly talented Beetlebug and Good Kid.
With some fans spending the entire day in the queue with hopes to get as close as they could possibly be to Lovejoy, by the time support had finished the entire room was more than ready for Lovejoy’s arrival. Lovejoy then finally took to the stage and virtually blew the roof off the place straight away, they thanked and waved to the crowd in attendance before starting the night with “Taunt”. Lovejoy fans were eating up every word the band had to say and sang their hearts out to their heroes onstage as the band went on to play fan favourites like “Perfume”, “One day” and “Oh Yeah, you gonna cry?”. Whilst the party was going on inside The Leadmill, fans who weren’t able to snag tickets to the show spilled out onto the street and were actually having their own concert outside the venue! A handful of supporters danced and sang outside to the sound of the band playing inside and you could still see that they were having the time of their lives. It felt quite poetic watching Lovejoy absolutely tear down the Leadmill stage with ease, a stage that many, many iconic bands have graced in the early days of their careens. Wilbur Soot took the time to mention to the crowd and said how bands like the Arctic Monkey’s got their big breaks at the Leadmill and it now feels like Lovejoy are already following in the footsteps of these legendary acts as they have this monumental feel that surrounds them as a band. We definitely recommend jumping on the Lovejoy bandwagon and seeing them as soon as you can because it won’t be long before they are selling out huge venues across the UK.
LOVEJOY
Photos + Review by Lewis Roberts | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!
