Live: Coasts

The Castle, Northern Quarter

21st October 2013

8/10

Coasts, a five piece band hailing from Bristol, brought their indie set to Manchester’s The Castle. Relatively new on the scene, Coasts is a band that has come on in waves since their formation back in 2011. Playing a quaint setting in Northern Quarter there is sense that this band is bigger than their venue.

Their live show is undoubtedly that which makes this band so special. The lead singer delivered a beautifully understated vocal and the rest of the band equally brought something individual to the performance.

Their track ‘Oceans’ is without doubt their most famous owing greatly to its instant connection with the listener and its catchy chorus. Therefore there was no surprise they saved this one for the end and it was very well received. Another favourite from their set is new single, ‘Stay’ which is just as memorable as its predecessor.

Unfortunately Manchester brought a pretty disappointing crowd and Coasts definitely deserved more. However, that didn’t affect their performance as they continued to play as though filling a much larger space. Their enjoyment on stage was evident and this transferred into the crowd where spectators danced at the front and enjoyed the comfort and intimacy of the small venue. It was also refreshing to see a band take so much care and pride in their performance without the arrogance that many smaller, indie bands tend to demonstrate.

It is easy to see why this band has been labelled as tropical. With a name like Coasts, a debut single entitled ‘Oceans’ and an EP named Paradise (not to mention the palm tree mascot on stage) they seem to be encouraging this theme. However, this band is so much more than just another breezy, tropical, indie band. With brilliantly written songs and a punchy live show, this is definitely a band to catch live.