It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a K’s fan. Having just had their debut album, I Wonder If the World Knows?, reach number three on the charts, the band are now on an extensive UK tour. And if instant classics such as ‘Heart On My Sleeve’ and ‘Chancer’ aren’t enough to convince you the Earlestown-made band are destined for greatness, their raucous, mighty live shows definitely are.
It’s a warm Saturday night in Birmingham and the ambience outside the O2 Institute is electric. Pop music filters out from nearby bars, the buzz of chatter fills the streets, and the smell of spring is in the air. But most importantly, a seemingly never-ending queue of people wearing ‘K’s’ t-shirts stretches out from the O2 Institute.
Inside the venue, the atmosphere is even more vibrant, as fans filter in and begin taking their places towards the front of the grandiose main room. After an impossibly high energy set from Birmingham-born-and-bred The Clause, the lights go down, eliciting a zealous roar from the crowd. A ‘K’s’ sign hangs at the back, with light-up letters spelling ‘IWITWK’ (an acronym for I Wonder If the World Knows?) resting on the stage. It’s a big step up from their production at past shows and is certainly indicative of how far the band has come.
As the taunting violin opening of ‘Icarus’ starts playing, the fourpiece emerge: bassist Dexter Baker, drummer Nathan Peers, guitarist Ryan Breslin, and finally, vocalist and guitarist Jamie Boyle. As if at the head of some religious worship, Boyle throws his hands up in the air, raising a deafening roar from all 1500 people in attendance. “And I go too far always, sometimes / Icarus is dead by sunrise,” Boyle belts, as does everyone in the crowd. With the overwhelmingly loud reception the song receives, it’s impossible to believe ‘Icarus’ only came out a week before the show.
‘Chancer’ and ‘Heart on My Sleeve’ are next, further igniting the already charged atmosphere. Boyle’s commanding vocals, Breslin and Baker’s fervent plucking, and Peers’ relentless drumming effortlessly bring the ambience to new heights. Without a moment to waste, the band launch into ‘Picture’, which receives an equally enthusiastic reception from the audience.
Even in the moments The K’s are transitioning from one song to the next, the crowd maintains its unyielding energy. Unified chants of “Dexter show us your arse!” resound through the venue, eliciting chuckles from both the band and the audience. “We can’t! We’ve been told not to by every venue in the country. And there may be children present!” Boyle laughs.
With the crowd still not having seen Baker pull his trousers down, The K’s launch into ‘Circles’, an album track off I Wonder If the World Knows?, and the first to give the eager crowd some semblance of a break. But when Breslin goes straight into the furious opening riffs of ‘Glass Towns’, the crowd eagerly begin to jump up and down in time with the music as if they’d been waiting for that moment for years. With its soaring, euphoric verses and grandiose, epic choruses set to rapid guitar chords, ‘Glass Towns’ somehow manages to surpass the previous highs in the show.
‘Hoping Maybe’ evokes a heartfelt singalong from the crowd: “And I was hoping maybe, you might know how to save me,” Boylan sings, his booming vocals resounding through the high-ceilinged venue. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar, the tear-jerking ballad reveals a different side to the band, but one that is equally compelling as the explosive and energetic tracks that put the band on the map. ‘Throw It All Away’ (Jamie’s favourite song from I Wonder If the World Knows?) and ‘Lights Go Down’ provide similar respite for what is – at this point – a very sweaty crowd.
It is well documented that The K’s have established their name through their ferocious live shows and their down-to-earth, honest interactions with fans. Taking the time to meet eager concertgoers at the merch stall after each show, replying to users on social media, and even occasionally going out for a drink with fans, The K’s reap the rewards of this cult-like following during their gigs, where fans lovingly gaze up at the band and stretch their arms out as if in prayer. The sheer adoration they receive from their fans is unparalleled, and it is something many larger artists can only dream of having.
With not a moment to waste, whoops and cheers set the stage for ‘No Place Like Home’, during which Breslin seizes the opportunity to lean into the crowd, contorting his body to play his guitar behind his head, welcomed by hands reaching out to support his torso. People are panting, pints have been spilt, and sweat drips off every surface imaginable. As the crowd catches their breath, Breslin and Boyle come on for an encore with the piano ballad ‘Valley One’.
“This is one of our favourite shows we’ve ever played, Birmingham,” declares Boyle as he stares out in disbelief at the amalgamation of limbs, ‘K’s’ t-shirts, and grinning faces in front of him. A soulful cover of The Pogues’ ‘Dirty Old Town’ paves the way for ‘Sarajevo’, where one last push propels the crowd into a violent, intense frenzy. The show is over, but the enthusiastic chatter pulsating through masses of invigorated fans seems to indicate it won’t be the last time they will be seeing the band.
With their infectious live performances, a healthy serving of talent, and good, old-fashioned hard work, it’s easy to see why the band are taking the UK by storm. Having recently sold out the main room of Manchester’s O2 Academy and now with a coveted Reading & Leeds main stage slot on the horizon, the band show no signs of stopping. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say The K’s are a name we’ll be seeing on festival lineups for years to come.
Words and photos by Sophie Flint Vazquez.
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