LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: THE ROLLING PEOPLE AT THE LOWER THIRD, LONDON 16/04/26
Hailing from Stockport, The Rolling People have brought their gripping and rebellious rock and roll to The Lower Third, in the heart of Soho, London. A sensational performance that yet again cemented the hype around the band and has left everyone inspired and thrilled by the great show they put on, pushing far beyond the expectations.
First opener of the night, Harry Lyon, a Sheffield based singer-songwriter, captivated the audience with his indie pop hooks and a nostalgic nod to the 80s. With a dazzling setlist and heartfelt lyrics, the crowd was left mesmerised and fixed gazing; Harry provided an immersive experience, setting in motion a great start of the evening.
Shortly after, Manchester-based Cutscene took on the stage; the four-piece band are rapidly emerging as one to look out for in the post-punk scene. With a blend of sharp guitar riffs, shoegazey melodies and poetry inspired lyrics, Cutscene created a live performance that was intense and explosive filling the venue with a balanced contrast of raw aggressive energy and evocative imagery.
It was then time for The Rolling People, who are named after The Verve track of the same name. The four-piece, which included lead singer Charlie McNichol, George Clark on the drums, Elliot McGovern as lead guitar and Asa Knighton on the bass, were determined to set the tone for the night from the get-go. Opening with the impactful with ‘The State of Things’ from their newly released album OUTLIER, the band had the crowd locked in straight away.
A cheering crowd then welcomed ‘Reign’ a layered, energetic and gritty tune that had the crowd already moving and singing along, which was followed by ‘Disguise’ where the pulsing drums are so well blended with the sharp riffs and superb vocals that you cannot simply stand still. Another one from their latest EP, ‘Soldered Souls’ was a fast-paced one with an anthemic flair that had the fans hooked as shown by their energetic clapping along.
Before introducing the next song, Charlie took the mic to say “Has anyone seen us before? – Thanks for coming tonight!” which had the crowd exploding in a loud cheering. The punchy ‘Edge of the Knife’ carried the audience through with unapologetic power and bold guitars.
Giving the crowd a moment to catch their breath, the tone changed slightly, when Charlie had got the acoustic guitar out and introduced ‘A Crack in the Glass’ as the second single they released this year, asking the crowd to sing along if they knew the lyrics; this was followed by ‘Better Man’.
The inspiring ‘Grateful For Nothing’ had the audience singing along every word and swaying their arms around, before coming to one of the most emotional moments of the night. Charlie once again took the time to engage with the crowd and introduced the next song ‘Another Day’ by saying “This song is another one from the latest EP and is very special to us – it’s about losing people to alcohol, so listen carefully to the lyrics”. This one brought in a wave of emotions crashing inside me, Charlie’s terrific vocals and lyrics, showed how much these guys pour their heart into their craft, it didn’t go unnoticed, and I can just tell it struck a chord with the crowd as well.
The atmosphere has now shifted again when Charlie asked the fans if they wanted to hear an unreleased track, which was welcomed with a loud “Yes!”; albeit an unreleased track ‘Tell Them Again’ had the crowd vibing along.
A fully immersed crowd was now giving it all singing with full chest and clapping along to ‘Before It’s Gone’, which was followed by ‘No Place To Be’, the fuzzy guitars and powerful drums accompanied by the crowd dancing and clapping along had the venue shaking.
After the intensity of the previous songs, it was time for the cathartic ‘Coming Down’, another one from their latest album, which gave a little room to breathe along with the evocative and nostalgic ‘In The Distance’ before picking things up again with the vibrant ‘I’ll Be There’, a dynamic track with reverberating guitars, explosive drums enriched with intense vocals with the sharp and heavy hitter ‘Your Take’ closing the night.
The Rolling People delivered one of the most solid and incredible performances I’ve seen in a while from an upcoming band. The magnetic presence and electrifying sound, sprinkled with ambition and the willing to work hard and giving their all to chase their dreams left a lasting impression, I can tell these guys are going places and I look forward to seeing what’s next in store for them.
Words by Mari D
Photos by Nadine Goetz
