LIVE: Sea Girls @ O2 Academy Liverpool

I remember getting into Sea Girls when Call Me Out first came out back in 2017. It was that and the single Violet that had me sold on believing that this band had something good going for them. I feel like at the time of its release Call Me Out was such a staple in many playlists and catapulted the band into the spotlight. The London outfit are unashamedly indie but it’s clear that they’ve spent lockdown practicing for the moment they were able to tour again if tonight was anything to go by.

As the venue submerged to darkness, tensions climaxed and the band ambled on stage to the familiar twang of Call Me Out. The dynamic opener showcased the bands talents equally and the energy of the performance matched the crowds immense roars. Rory Young’s strikingly energetic guitar solo was met with constant jumps and hair flicks which kept the audience on their toes and dancing to the snappy beats of the bass and drums (Andrew Noswad and Oli Khan).

Their tales of angst and reflection resonates with many and continue to spill into their set as the band proceeded to roll out hits, both old and new, all night. The songs are unstoppable and there was an overwhelming sense of unity during fan favourite All I Want To Hear You Say. The crowd, scattered over various age groups, shouted back every lyric without fail in the most jarring pitches but the atmosphere was something magical. From Violet, Call It What It Is and Do You Really Wanna Know, the hits just kept coming, they didn’t disappoint.

The main highlight of the night was the bands performance of Damage Done from their 2020 album Open Up Your Head. Reaching overflowing levels of energy, Henry Camamile tackled the song with fiery power and embraced the storied frontman role in all its glory by standing on the barrier and reaching out to the crowd. As the song reached the iconic “no, I don’t really wanna dance” lyric sequence, he made the performance more personal and intimate to the fans in the front by holding their hands and singing directly to them.

Taking a page from their next chapter, the band teased upcoming material by performing songs from their second album Homesick. The unreleased tracks, Home Town and Lonely, took an emotional turn as Camamile whipped out his acoustic guitar for them. Lonely stands out, the remarkably honest track, despite being unreleased, felt weirdly nostalgic as it was sung back in unison after a brief intro with instructions to follow. The same overwhelming sense of unity that was felt during All I Want To Hear You Say was also felt during this performance. It for sure made the crowd hungry to hear the rest of the album.

The night of glittering indie earworms comes to an end as the band close with their recently released single Sick. Judging by the new track, it appears that the new album, coming in a matter of months, will be full of more punchy, upbeat indie anthems, and if tonight is any indication, you can guarantee that Sea Girls won’t be playing smaller venues going further.

You can catch Sea Girls on the rest of their tour at the following dates below, find tickets here.

OCTOBER

20 - O2 Academy, Leeds

21 - Manchester Academy, Manchester

Full gallery here. All images by Shannon Garner