Live review: Indie rocker Declan McKenna sparkles on an energetic night

With it being one of the earlier dates on the tour, it allowed a South Yorkshire audience to bear witness early to a setlist of pure dyanmic bliss.

McKenna was accompanied by Wunderhorse, a band experienced at playing with big names, having previously supported for the likes of Foals and Sam Fender - a dreamy grunge-inspired band with an up-and-coming mindset matched with choruses ready to be sung in bigger and bigger venues.

Purple and Leader of The Pack were crowd favourites, with many in the audience repeating lyrics back to the indie rock band.

They also performed an unreleased tune called Midas, which is in desperate need of an immediate release - because it got the audience yelling back a chorus to a song that isn’t even out yet.

After Wunderhorse had finished their set, it was 30 minutes of anticipation for the main event.

McKenna appeared onstage with his band, dressed in the outfit of a 60s TV personality lost in time and began the night with the first track from the album Sympathy, which might also be regarded as coming from the same decade.

The soothing catchy melody and enthusiastic live performance were an excellent prelude to the display of mayhem and delight that was to come.

It was then back to his debut album with Why Do You Feel So Down, a piece buried deep in meaning yet disguised by a brilliantly sounding melody that was a joy to the ears.

What followed were three more tracks that delved into political beliefs and self-doubts from his debut album, these were: Listen To Your Friends, Humongous, and The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home.

Elevator Hum was next to be sworn in onto the setlist, the sweetly sounding song performed energetically by a vibrant McKenna who ensured the Sheffield crowd were in for a set of only his very best.

Next on was his first single The Key to Life on Earth from his sophomore album Zeros. This glam rock anthem with Bowie overtones demonstrated McKenna's considerable versatility in his collection of ever-expanding fan favourites that span genres and issues relevant to modern culture.

Groovy and harmonious hymn Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine was certainly a favourite among the Steel City crowd, as the guitar hook had everyone hypnotised to the track of mischievous lyricisms.

McKenna then proclaimed that this new track was going down a treat with audiences and he certainly wasn’t wrong as the catchy chorus and melody had everyone swaying along to Mezzanine.

It was then a return to his first album, but following on after Isombard, it was all the upbeat songs mashed together to create mosh pits track after track, as Beautiful Faces a song about celebrities using their looks as a front for their sociopathic tendencies, was fiercely performed abd McKenna had the audience raise their arms to the chorus like the cult followings of the celebrities the song refers to.

Keeping the tempo high, his current album's second single, Nothing Works, was premiered to the Sheffield audience.

A song that made the rounds throughout festival season last year before its official release was always going to be a hit with fans and festival crowds.

The song digs into McKenna's composition and provides insight into his thought process, including how he is unable to change himself or his songs despite criticism.

The London-born artist concluded the initial set with Brazil and album closer It’s An Act, the former a well-known track delving into football corruption and how the sport has been poisoned by those in suits.

As always, the track's instantly recognisable intro had the audience shrieking in familiarity of the modern-day classic. McKenna moved to a raised stage for the latter It's an Act, album closer and now set closer, to masterfully perform the emotional dramatic ending to the initial show.

He and his band then returned to the stage to play the four-set song encore, which began with the title track of the new album WOBBLE, which is named not in the title but in the chorus. McKenna cited this as his favourite, which makes sense given that he named the album after the tune.

The music itself has an ethereal elegance to it that has a totally different feel to the studio version, making this a must-see live.

After finishing the initial set with his latest album closer, he then introduced personal favourite Eventually Darling, the closer to Zeros. The bittersweet tone of the track and its lyricisms delved in the unpredictability of finding love and relationships make it the perfect emotional rollercoaster to sway into the next two songs.

Mystery Planet is a track that many people are unfamiliar with because it was not included onto streaming platforms but instead the versions of the album pressed physically.

The upbeat audial landscape of the track allowed McKenna to drop down against the barrier and play within touching distance of the patient crowd that had been queuing for the majority of the day for their spot at the front.

With the end of Mystery Planet, it gradually transitions into a more familiar beat, one that will instill dread among mosh pit haters, British Bombs.

The textbook ending that all artists strive for with a set closer that meets the heights of this politically charged masterpiece; the high tempo, the chaotic nature of the song, allows McKenna to freely traverse the stage, along with the catchy chorus all contribute to an exhilarating finale to what was a must-see performance.