Back in January we published a piece on ten of our favourite up and coming bands, in which we featured Brighton quartet Black Honey. Naturally, we’ve been eagerly anticipating their gig at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge ever since it was announced.
First to emerge on stage from the lights displaying the bands name was drummer Tom, easing the crowd in with a steady beat before being joined by the rest of the band. As the sweltering guitar of their 2015 single ‘Madonna’ kicked in, the crowd surged forward and there wasn’t a single soul in the room without their arms in the air.
The band released their dreamy pop-rock debut EP back in 2014 and every release since has showcased not only their unique style, but front-woman Izzy’s vocal range too. The one quality that all of the tracks possess is their anthemic nature – something the crowd would definitely agree on as they kept a lively mosh pit going for the duration of the set, whilst impressingly not missing a lyric.
The band have become renowned for their raucous live sets and it was easy to see why on Tuesday night, particularly when they exploded into their latest single ‘Somebody Better’. Whatever the track, Izzy managed to hypnotise the crowd with her mesmerizing vocals, from the exhilarating ‘Hello Today’ to a stunning acoustic rendition of ‘Cadillac’ that was delivered by herself and guitarist Chris – a performance that somehow managed to give me goosebumps whilst being crammed into an intimate and sweaty venue.
The band ended on one of their earlier and perhaps slightly more chilled releases; ‘Corrine’ – ending with a stage invasion from a few fans. Black Honey are without a doubt one of the most exciting bands around and I can’t wait to hear their debut album.
[Photography by Ellen McGoran]
