It’s been a time of change for Lonely The Brave in recent years, with Jack Bennett joining the band as frontman ahead of the superb The Hope List on 2021. Getting back to normality and touring the record would surely have been a welcome comfort but unfortunately the band had to reschedule the tour by a year. Luckily enough for Hardbeat, our names were on the list for the Brighton date and we made our way to Patterns for an emo-power ballad sing-along, or ten.
VLMV
Opening tonight is VLMV, a one-man band blessed with natural and flawless musical ability, armed with loop pedals to showcase every facet of his performance. Surprisingly, it’s not an act bursting with energy as you’d expect from the start of a night music. However, not a voice in the crowd can be heard as everyone is mesmerised by the talent on display. Ever the perfectionist, VLMV even starts a song again after he makes a mistake soon into playing. These are high-standard for himself and it sets high-standards for the rest of the evening.
Photo by Kevin Lay
Lonely The Brave
It’s now time for our headline act, Lonely The Brave, who bound onto the stage with an enthusiasm that immediately hits the crowd. It’s anthemic ‘Keeper’ that gets things started and the belt-out ballads just keep on coming. A few songs into the set it’s clear that frontman Bennett is struggling with his voice tonight. It’s remarkable the limits he is pushing to deliver for the crowd, promising “I’m gonna give 110%”, before gargling on a variety of concoctions. Regardless of the high notes that become increasingly out of reach as the set goes on, the effort on show is enough for a receptive crowd who do their best to carry their wounded comrade to the finish line. ‘The Blue, The Green’ receives a fantastic reception and the band might as well take a rest as the crowd do all of the work for 4 and a half minutes. Similar can be said for the phenomenal ‘Backroads’, with a choir of voices bellowing along from beyond the barrier. As the set comes to a close, the crowd show their appreciation for a brilliant night of live music, a superb band, and a heroic shift from the frontman. It is thoroughly deserved to say the least.
Photo by Kevin Lay.