Kate Wassell couldn’t wait until November 5th, so she made her way down to Belgrave to see Bang Bang Romeo provide their own set full of sonic fireworks.
In their sold-out Belgrave show, Bang Bang Romeo prove themselves as the biggest new band you’ve never heard of. With just one EP and a handful of singles to their name, the Yorkshire bred trio have acquired quite the fanbase, with barely an audience member in sight that couldn’t scream back their lyrics.
Support act ‘Late Night Honeymoon’ were perfect in setting the tone for the vigour that was to come; colourfully clad and ready to rock, there were definite hints of ‘The Amazons’, giving a taste for the slightly heavier side of Bang Bang Romeo’s repertoire.
And boy did the main act bring vigour. With Anastasia Walker as front-woman and her fellow Doncaster pals (with Walker and guitarist Ross Cameron as fellow song-writers since their teens), the band have more than a happy rapport. It’s no wonder pop-sensation Pink reached out to them to support her European tour, a no-brainer opportunity for the band and something that’s been essential in getting them on the map.
Power-house Anastasia is a force of nature. Three outfit changes and -in her words- a lot of sweat later (“it’s fucking boiling!” one audience member shouted in a moment of silence), she succeeded in staying on top form throughout. Her passion-propelled vocals fuelled both the huge, soaring anthems and the (aptly torch-lit) heartfelt ballads.
In a slightly unexpected collaboration, Bang Bang Romeo’s latest hit features none other than beloved rapper and songwriter of the 2000s, Example. His vocals on new single ‘Love Yourself’ preach self-love and validation, and though the track is a little cheesy, it hits the mark with the message.
Themes of tolerance and acceptance lie at the core of the band’s music, and Anastasia herself stands as a figure of LGBT representation. Her performance of ‘Do You Adore Me’- written for her then-girlfriend- proved a goose-bump moment of the night.
The on-stage screen counted down in a ‘to be continued’ style before the band burst back on stage for an encore. Anastasia hadn’t yet lost her energy, and the hard drumming and bass riffs made a hearty ending to a very sweaty, very enjoyable show. No doubt we’ll be seeing them somewhere even mightier- both in venue and in reputation- the next time they take Leeds.