Whilst it feels like The Xcerts were only just off tour with Nothing But Thieves and finishing their smaller instore tour at the beginning of the year, the Scottish trio are already back on the road in support of their new album âHold On To Your Heartâ and bring Peterborough-based darlings Airways along for the ride.
The tour kicks off in the Scholar of Leicesterâs O2 Academy as Airways take to the stage with the heavily drum-led opener of their debut EP. The crowd may be small but the energy they bring is undoubtedly infectious with feet beginning to tap as the band launch into âAliensâ amid a hue of green lights. Reminiscent of a younger Arctic Monkeys and noticeably influenced by Leicester-rockers Kasabian, the band clearly have many fans amidst the audience as their storytelling lyrics are yelled back at them. Vocalist Jake Daniels carries the crowd through tales of hazy, late nights out, his straight-talking vocal style arguably key in what has given this band such success from just a couple of singles. They finish on their latest âMateâ to cheers and a repetitive chant of âAirways! Airways!â from the eager audience. Not bad for the first night of tour.
After a short break the crowd conversation drops to a hush of anticipation as the stage once again lights up in a golden smokey haze. The Xcerts walk on confidently with a nod to the audience as front man Murray reaches for the microphone: âHey Leicester, how you doing? We’re a band called The Xcerts”.
The show is intimate, opening with the gentle build up of soft piano keys bringing in their new albumâs opening track âThe Darkâ as the crowd begins to move, joining in with cries of âtell me when the worst is overâ with fizzling excitement. The lights go down and then thereâs an expectant cheer as the first few chords of fan-favourite âShaking in the Waterâ blasts out. The crowd canât help but dance, and as hands fly into the air alongside shouts of âwell I was shake, shake, shaking in the waterâ it becomes easy to forget itâs a rainy Sunday evening in Leicester.
Itâs clear theyâre glad to be back having not played the city since Leicesterâs Handmade Festival in 2016. Whilst their previous set may have been a catastrophe (in Murrayâs own words), after tonightâs performance itâs clear theyâve been forgiven. The set is a perfect mix of older, well-loved tunes, and the new album, whose release made the top 40.
The Xcerts move back to their newer material as the band bring Toby from the audience onto the stage to sing the saxophone part of âDrive Me Wildâ. Itâs clear the crowd are enjoying themselves as they laugh and cheer, while he does his best impression of a sax and the rest of the band follow his lead, the drum and bass flying in to accompany. The lights flash to purple as he climbs back down to a crowd-gone-wild.
As their set ends the crowd begins to chant. It might be a Sunday but itâs barely past half 9 and no one is going to leave without an encore. Murray returns to the stage alone, pauses a moment and breaks gently into âAberdeen 1987â. The crowd falls to a diminished quiet as Murray’s crooning vocals fill the small room. The spell is only broken when the rest of the band rejoin him on stage to end the night on âFeels Like Falling In Loveâ to loud cheers and stamping feet under a backlit blue wash accompanied by strobes silhouetting their faces.
If this is what the first night of their tour is like, we envy anyone seeing The Xcerts in the following few weeks, as they continue to prove themselves to be one of the UKâs most exciting young bands.
AMY ALBINSON
