24 Kitchen Street is a venue which finds itself in Liverpool, and it holds countless memories for so many locals. One of those being SPINN’s frontman: Johnny Quinn. As his band took the stage of the venue, The Frontman referred (on a couple of occasions) to being a teen and enjoying raves and other musical events in that same place he was performing. It must have been one of those ‘pinch me’ moments for the four band members, who have achieved a great deal since they became a band.
This year, Christmas is undoubtedly going to be a tough time for so many people in the UK. The rising cost of living has come at a time where mental health issues are at an extreme high as it is, and things don’t seem to be progressing under the Tory rule. The band did more than its part with their Christmas show. In the days leading up to the event, a plea from the band was released: kindly asking fans attending to bring along food and toys to be donated to food & toy banks across Merseyside. Those in attendance well and truly got the message. Boxes filled with items more valuable than any gift we may receive this year. The band, and the crowd alike, deserve huge plaudits for this generous effort during the festive period.
The ‘Christmas Spirit’, as it were, could most certainly be felt in the packed-out crowd. The drinks were flowing, Christmas tunes blasted out of the sound systems as the crowd waited with anticipation for the show to kick off.
The perfect support act kicked off events, with a tremendous performance from ‘Pet Snake’. Having little prior knowledge of The Act made for a great experience for myself, as her tunes most certainly did the job of ‘warming up’ (excuse the wintery pun) the Liverpool crowd.
9 O’clock rolled around and it was time for the SPINN lads to play their set. And what a set it was, too. The four-piece haven’t played to a live audience since their UK tour earlier this year. Having seen their brilliant, vibrant indie-pop show in Bristol, I expected great things. It’s safe to say that the lads didn’t disappoint.
Since the release of The Band’s second album ‘Outside of the Blue’, their gigs have been opened- so fittingly- with their great track ‘Hello’. If you’ve not had a chance to listen to it, do so now, or after you’ve finished reading this. A perfect introduction for a gig, as it progresses from slow, indie grooves to a full-throttle, jangly, Smiths-esque crowd mover. There was no sign of rust in their performance at all, despite their break from touring.
The Group then had the audience in the palms of their metaphorical hands. The set-list was jam packed with SPINN classics, from ‘She Takes Her time’, to ‘Sunshine’, even the inclusion of, as Johnny put it: “OG SPINN” in the form of their tune ‘Bliss’. For me, though, the take home tracks of the set were those which the audience had never heard before. The band debuted two new tracks, named ‘Alone’ and ‘Anytime’. For those not in attendance, let me tell you: you should be excited for the release of these ones. The latter of the two really felt as though it could be a tune which bolsters the band’s career. If the tracks are to be a part of an upcoming EP or album, then we are all in for a treat.
The set was over all too soon, but the crowd were treated to what was labelled a ‘Christmas cracker’. The band called upon their support act to join them for the conclusive song of the evening. ‘Fairytale of New York’. It was, to say the least, perfect. The crowd took it up a notch and the noise was deafening. Friends held each other and belted out the words to the Christmas classic.
With that rendition, the gig was over, and the band moved over to Jimmy’s for a DJ set, and all those who had come for an evening of indie music with great riffs, groovy basslines with tight drumming and some excellent lyricism were more than contented.
Many thanks to SPINN, who kindly provided myself and a friend with tickets for the event. I’m sure all fans of the band hope for news of a tour, along with new music in 2023!
SPINN’s Set-List from the event.
MC 