REVIEW: The Sherlocks wow fans at sold out O2 Academy Sheffield

Since they last played here, the South Yorkshire band has changed line up, recorded another top ten album and was part of the official post-pandemic return of live music at Tramlines last year.

But some things don’t change, and frontman Kiaran Crook, his brother and drummer Brandon, lead guitarist Alex Procter and bassist Trent Jackson, wowed the 2,150 capacity O2 Academy crowd, with a scale and an energy beyond what has already been reached on this tour.

They may play to crowds of hundreds or sometimes thousands across the rest of Britain, but it is here, in Sheffield, that the power of this band is felt to its fullest.

And it is also here that some fans will remember past sold out gigs at The Leadmill, The Foundry and The Rocking chair, as well twice before in this venue.

This time, hits from the band’s latest top ten album World I Understand transcend the evening alongside proven older hits.

The ominously urgent single Falling, with its infectious chorus, merges effortlessly from intro Porto to kick things off, while grunge-themed Plastic Heart and catchy tune Wake Up show the range of music that this band can offer.

The part acoustic, part full band version of Games You Play, with its stirring violin-inspired chorus, resonates strongly with fans, while dance-orientated Sorry, which Kiaran said made the band feel like DJs in the recording studio, suggest comparisons with the stadium sounds of The Killers.

Single On the Run, which beneath the defiant chorus is a moving tribute to a life lost too soon, is another hit and a further example of the strength and depth of songwriter Kiaran and the capacity of this band, now made even bigger on stage by touring keyboard player Jonny Oxer.

With an 18 song set list, there is no time for gimmicks or distractions and The Sherlocks let the music do the talking as always. However, an interlude to unveil a giant Yorkshire flag and a short tribute to The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me raise big cheers.

There is a still room for adored singles Live for the Moment, Will You Be There?, NYC (Sing It Loud) and Magic Man from the group’s first two top 20 albums, plus a recall for popular 2016 single Last Night, whose absence on other dates on this tour demonstrates the strength of the band’s new material and the ruthless set list choices they now make.

Football allegiances were put aside for one evening at least.

“It’s about the music and being here to have a good time,” Kiaran said during one interlude, although with drummer Brandon a well known Owls fan, he could have put it another way: “We’re all Sherlocks Aren’t we?”

The band say new music is coming, with another track on their fourth album being recorded in the days before this gig, but whatever happens, it is hard to imagine a song other than Chasing Shadows finishing The Sherlocks’ set, just as it always did at those early gigs in Sheffield.

After two years of practice, studio time, festivals and nationwide tours, this gig was a reformation for a band now at the top of their game and a true talent. And even after three hit albums, the exciting thing is that these insurgents to the music industry are only just getting started.

Earlier, Sheffield’s The Warehouse Club, who also played on the first date of this tour in Blackpool in April, drew a big early crowd with the five-piece playing tracks, including Bring You Round and their iTunes alternative chart hit debut single Too Little Too Late. In a busy evening, lead singer Nathan Kobierowski then worked the sound desk for The Sherlocks.

Manchester based openers The Covasettes returned to The Sherlocks tour after playing earlier dates in Glasgow, Newcastle and Hull. Frontman Chris Buxton, lead guitarist Matt Hewlett, bassist Jamie McIntyre and drummer Matt Buckley showed why they are in demand for festivals this summer.

The Sherlocks play alongside Kaiser Chiefs in the country’s biggest arenas this autumn, including Leeds First Direct Arena on November 12 and Hull Bonus Arena on November 8, but first they play there own headline gig at O2 Academy Leeds on Saturday June 25 and the main stage at Reading and Leeds festival in August.

Their latest album World I Understand is out now. More at thesherlocksmusic.co.uk.

The Sherlocks set list at O2 Academy Sheffield, May 21, 2022

Falling

Escapade

Magic Man

Plastic Heart

Wake Up

End of the Earth

Will You Be There?

On the Run

Games You Play

NYC (Sing It Loud)

World I Understand

Last Night

Sorry

Live for the Moment

Nobody Knows

City Lights

Chasing Shadows