On a street seemingly incomparable to the otherwise bustling, flashy streets of Liverpool, sits a dark little bar, no bright signs, no bouncers in high vis fighting off the drunk, just windows covered in posters. Contrary to its shy looking exterior, its interior is nothing short of mind blowing. The walls are plastered from head to toe in posters, and all different types of memorabilia. In my opinion, if you were to hold an intimate gig, this would be the place to do it, everywhere you looked felt like it had a story to tell, like every person who had been there had left a lasting imprint, curating the vibe that almost hugged you just standing in it..
The night kicked off with a band called Tax Party, an extremely high energy band, a perfect start to the night. You couldn’t help but tap your foot or bang your head to the music. It was a perfect warm up for the audience and already you could feel the energy in the room rising with every strum of the guitar.
Following on was a band called Gondalas, again what an incredible band to match the high energy, these guys knew how to work the crowd, and filled the small backroom with a heavy driven force that made you want to get up and dance like an idiot with no care.
After a small intermission, and the room beginning to fill back up, the air was thick with anticipation, this was the moment they had all been waiting for, the stars of the night, a band from a small town called Thurso, found deep in the Scottish Highlands. Their name? FAEDA!
The lights went out, feedback came over the system, and suddenly there were strobe lights, the crowd screamed, the feedback grew louder and you saw the silhouettes emerge. Tall, confident and alluring. They know they’re the shit and they know how to work it like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was like I was starstruck, and I didn’t even know who they were, that’s how incredible they were, and they hadn’t even started performing yet.
From the immediate start of them playing I was hypnotised, utterly in a trance. It was like the world around us closed off and we were engulfed in the world of FAEDA. Stage presence like that paired with the sheer talent of them is something you see from veteran musicians, bands that are household names and have been touring half their lives, but these guys are just breaking in, and they’re doing it with precision and power.
Watching them up there perform was nothing short of an honour, their sound is something to be framed and admired like the Mona Lisa, it is pure art, something that in my opinion is on its way to being solidified and used by other artists as inspiration. To say it bluntly they WILL be a household name and you can hold me to that..
I spoke to the lead singer Robbie afterwards, and I asked him if FAEDA could be the love child of any musicians, who would it be? – To which he replied Biffy Clyro and Royal Blood. I personally believe that the comparison is incredible, in their music you can hear these artists cracking through, like mentors shaping their songs. But I realised that although inspired, these artists have paved the way for FAEDA to create their own sound, and it is something to not underestimate, it is powerful, and driven. Something that makes me feel almost naive, like nothing can touch me. Although I had no knowledge of them before, seeing them play has created a void in my mind that is filled with them, this is a band you won’t forget about, and for that I am grateful.
Tate Davies