Huge hype isn’t necessarily a good thing. A gig two days before the release of their debut album Where the Heaven Are We is definitely a sink or swim moment for one of the most high-profile bands of the B-Town scene. Pulling in a large crowd, it felt more like a headline slot; a five o’clock Saturday set with many a fan ready to get the night started can make for a lively atmosphere. Swim Deep impressed with their short set full of hits from their sudden accession to success.
The anticipation centred on singles ‘Honey King City’ and ‘She Changes the Weather’ and these were no doubt the highlights. My personal favourite was the unexpected cover of ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’. In signature breezy Swim Deep style, it was little like the Cyndi Lauper original and perfectly complimented the general festival happiness in abundance at Y Not.
Swim Deep have a relaxed, nostalgic style which has led some to criticise their album, calling it lazy and lacklustre. But this is what Swim Deep with their stoner pop style are all about! After seeing the set I felt the hype was definitely deserved. The fact they had their own famous-face-filled crowd at the side of the stage (including Drenge, Matt Healy of The 1975 and none other than Ryan Jarman) only goes further to prove their worth.
