Manchester based jazz trio, Go Go Penguin are no strangers when it comes to performing live. Straight after finishing their European tour, which saw them travel to multiple different cities, the band were set to start their UK voyage, with their first date being none other than Sheffield’s intimate and atmospheric venue, the Leadmill.
The evening kicked off with support from the eloquently soulful sounding, Andreya Triana. As the room filled with a warm glow of orange lights, Triana approached the stage with a cacophony of cheers arising from the crowd. Triana began her set list with songs from her 2015 album titled ‘Giants’ and instantaneously had the entirety of the room hooked and eating from the palm of her hand. Also on the cards, was the performance of her latest single ‘Women’, which proved to be a treat, in which the concertgoers revelled in.
In despite of the fact that the gig was held on a dark, cold and rainy winter’s Tuesday night, fans still turned up in numbers. The sold-out scene brought a sense of warmth and closeness to the area as crowds surrounded the stage patiently waiting for the primary focus of Go Go Penguin to commence their gig and share their captivating and pleasing tunes. The wait for the main stars felt to go on for an eternity, with each slight flicker of the lights getting viewers hopes up. Once the moment finally arrived and Go Go penguin was a go-go, the excitement of the place began to bounce from wall to wall.
Whilst the boys took their positions on stage, the atmosphere around intensified as cheers and screams of encouragement filled everyone’s ears. The suspense carried on for what seemed like a lot longer than the 30 seconds of reality, until finally, the wait was over and the soft and mesmerizing sound of piano began. The first song of the night was my personal favourite ‘prayer’. Members of the audience swayed from side to side in a state of hypnotic tranquillity. The band then swiftly transitioned into the second song of the show, ‘Raven’ and as the intensification of the song progressed, you could feel the powerful bass line hit you in your chest, assuring to get fans all the more pumped.
An array of tracks from their latest album, ‘A Humdrum Star’ carried on for the majority of their set list, including bardo, a hundred moons and reactor. Once again, spirits around were high as frequent displays of adoration were shown.
The night was sadly drawing to an end but thankfully for us, it wasn’t over just yet. Nick Blacka took to the double bass to play a captivating and invigorating solo before thanking the crowd for the turnout. The last song of the night ‘Transient State’ began with the entrancing beats of the drum, teasing us all as we waited for the hit of the track to take place. As dazzling lights strobed around the room, the energies from fellow listeners were high, proving to be the perfect way to end the high-spirited show.
