Only Sun + The Mustoes + Crymson @ The Sunflower Lounge, 17 April 2019
Getting to the venue on a really sunny day and finding a full room before the show even started really makes it a very promising evening! Only Sun is a thrilling indie rock band from High Wycombe formed of five exciting personalities: Aabid, Daz, Ed, Euan and Taylor. Last year they released one single every month, accompanied by their very own “I’m in the weird part of the internet” music videos, as they say.
They have just released the video for their new single ‘VICE’, which once again shows the freedom of exploring every corner of their imagination while maintaining their uplifting sound. The stirring band continues to be around that thin line between genius and insanity, while satisfying their ever-growing fan base with their self-deprecating front and sense of humour.
First though, Birmingham has a new indie band, C R Y M S O N, who slightly reminds me of The Smiths. Their songs are a mixture of a moody voice with a vibrant guitar, a melodic keyboard and subtle drums. After releasing their debut EP ‘No Sense of Brain’, the four boys are now playing gigs in and around the city and tonight were cheered by a room filled with people enjoying their music.
Next on stage was the five-piece alternative pop band from the West Midlands, The Mustoes. At first glance it’s hard to believe that they are just at the beginning of their musical career. Getting on stage with a bit of a nonchalant attitude, they couldn’t contain their smiles as the crowd was getting more and more excited. Being linked to The 1975 and Billie Eilish, their music is modern with a heavily electronic vibe. Admitting that they play it all the time but happy that people still love it, they pleased the audience with ‘Twenty’, their debut single released earlier this year, which received instant recognition. They have literally just released their second single, ‘My Attention’, as part of their first EP, ‘Take a Seat in Solidarity’, so make sure to check them out, you won’t regret it. They have the look, the moves and definitely the talent. A promising band which is going to get big before you know it.
Balloons and a small beach ball were thrown all around the venue, while the most awaited band of the night finally came on stage. Only Sun opened with ‘So It Goes’, the first single released last year, which accentuates that ‘music is the answer’, and continued with ‘Indigo’, motivating people to enjoy their life, as “it’s a rollercoaster ride and you better put your hands up”, because “life is too short”. Their invigorating and lively music sends optimistic messages covered in humour, not like the usual love songs, but more about living your best life and cherishing your friends, while leaving your ego behind, as they say in the singles ‘Lives’ and ‘Happiness (All My Friends)’. So keep looking for life in the right places and choose happiness because it “doesn’t cost a thing” — but even if money can’t buy happiness, they can certainly buy a ticket to their gigs and it’s kind of the same thing.
They took a moment to thank their soundman for doing so much for them, even when they are late. Funniest was when they almost started playing ‘Happy Birthday’ because they thought that it was his birthday, but it turned out it wasn’t. They shared with the audience that the last time they played here, at the Sunflower Lounge, it was the first time people sang along to their songs and it was overwhelming. Even better they recognised two girls from the crowd from the last time they were here.
The whole night they proved that there is no such thing as having too much energy, while continuously dancing and jumping around, as the crowd tried to do their best to catch up. They are definitely a fun and electrifying band and fans love them, but their performance came to an end a song earlier than their set list suggested, as they suddenly left the stage without playing ‘Does It Matter?’, which I think kind of mattered to the confused crowd. Maybe they were out of time or were just in a hurry to get to Leeds the next day as they expressed their concerns earlier in the night.
Set List
So It Goes
Indigo
Lives
Happiness (All My Friends)
Song for Leila
VICE
Spiral
I Can’t Stand It
Youth
NHS70
Does It Matter?
Review and Photographs: Andra Tudoran