Written by Jay Mitra
Think you’re fine being single? Go see Thee Sacred Souls live and you will fall in love with the idea of love itself.
It’s a Saturday night in April at Manchester’s Band on the Wall. Dagger collars, flared jeans, shag haircuts and afros paint a picture of a crowd already emulating the 60s and 70s style they’re about to witness tonight. People around me are smiling warmly and there’s an ease in being among a crowd knowing that there is no threat of a mosh pit erupting. A tall girl kindly encourages me to step in front of her so I could get a better view. Considering Thee Sacred Souls became famous for their love songs, it shouldn’t really be a shock that the people coming to watch them are loving and selfless in their gig etiquette. But still, I’m pleasantly surprised.
The music starts early. Another Daptone Records signee, support act Jalen Ngonda takes the stage for 7:20pm sharp. Stripped of pomp and glitz, Ngonda is armed only with his Rickenhacker guitar and his rich, rasping vocals. After a couple songs he pauses to mention he lived in Liverpool, attempting a surprisingly accurate Scouse accent that sounds surreal after hearing him speak with an American twang. The crowd cheers and then suddenly boos as if Ngonda’s charisma briefly made them forget Liverpool and Manchester’s infamous rivalry. His latest single ‘If You Don’t Want My Love’ is a masterclass in falsetto; shut your eyes and it is indistinguishable what sex he is – aural androgyny at its finest. I hear a girl beside me call him the “male Etta James”. His setlist consists of some of his bigger hits like ‘Just Like You Used To Do’ but also unexpected covers such as the old blues song ‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’ by Jimmy Reid and ‘Tell Her No’ by The Zombies. Ngonda sets the bar high and finishes his set to rapturous applause and several new fans (myself included).
At 8:15, our headliners grace the stage, launching straight into ‘Overflowing’. From Ngonda solo set to the seven people that make up Thee Sacred Souls, the stage suddenly feels crowded; I’m not sure who to focus on. Frontman Josh Lane’s long dreads tumble and swish down his brown jacket as he grooves to the Motown style staccato keyboard rhythm. Fellow vocalists Tatiana and Aston’s harmonies are feather-lite, gliding smoothly over Josh’s powerful voice. The women sway and snap their fingers as they entrance us with their slick movements and flawless vocals. Behind them is bassist and founding member Sal Samano, sporting a smart suit, a thick moustache and a scorpion tattoo on his neck which catches the light as he plays. Alex Garcia, another founding member, is on drums, also with a thick moustache and dapper dagger collared suit. To the left is serious-faced guitarist Shay, and Riley who is sitting down playing keys, is somewhat tucked away into the shadows. Together, they sound polished and practically indistinguishable from their studio recordings.
The band play a mix of singles and tracks from their self-titled album. During ‘Lady Love’, Josh theatrically mimes the lyrics, “I never meant to take your heart / played with it and clumsily break it”. He holds a palm over his heart, mimics throwing something in the air and steps back to watch said imaginary heart shatter on the ground by his feet with his eyes wide with pretend shock. He cups his mic like a prayer as he earnestly sings, “I lost my one true love, I can’t replace it / I’m hoping, and waitin’, and prayin’ for you”.
Their fifth track is the hit ‘Will I See You Again?’: a song perfect for those navigating the bittersweetness of situationships. Josh strips off his jacket and Tatiana and Aston whip out fans which they flutter as they sing. Ninety percent of the crowd are singing along, almost shouting the lines “Either you want me or you don’t / you want me or we go back to being friends”. I too, sing the lines with anguished sincerity.
For the gorgeous duet ‘Happy and Well’, Tatiana gracefully exits, and all eyes are on Aston and Josh. The stage is suddenly bathed in deep blue lighting. Floral dress billowing behind her, Aston glides across to the other side of the stage where Josh awaits. Though the studio recording of the track was recorded with Jensine Benitez who recently left Thee Sacred Souls to pursue a solo career, Aston’s interpretation didn’t leave anything amiss. Her solo is flawless; her control over vocal runs is astounding and the result is somehow both masterful and tender. In person, their harmonies scratch a part of my brain I didn’t know could be scratched. Josh and Aston’s voices melt into each other’s like butter heated from the very warmth of the smiles they share. They sway in sync and the crowd can’t help but smile and groove with them.
Occasionally, Josh gives us brief meditations on love between tracks. Before ‘For Now’ he gently reminds us how we all have “equal opportunity to be the protagonist and the antagonist in the story” of our relationships. The slow pace of ‘For Now’ is then suddenly juxtaposed with the fast, joyous rhythms of ‘Love Comes Easy’. Tatiana and Aston grin as they shimmy to Alex’s vigorous drum outro – an outro that doesn’t appear on the studio recording.
In another switch up of mood, the next track is ‘Sorrow for Tomorrow’. Before they play, Josh reveals the song is about the grief of losing his cousin. He tells us that the “lyrics were a permission for myself and anyone else who needs it, to cry when necessary.” The song howls with longing and the new knowledge of Josh’s loss emphasises the ache anchoring the song.
The next two tracks are covers of The Moovers’ ‘Someone to Fulfil my Needs’ and Ronnie Walker’s ‘Really Really Love You’ – both expertly delivered, with Riley going HAM on the former track with a keyboard solo that has the audience gleefully whooping.
Upon Josh’s request, the lights bathe the room in red for ‘Trade of Hearts’, mimicking the mood of the passionate love song. Josh blows and then sips on a flask of tea, completely at ease on stage as we patiently await him to start. He addresses the couples, dedicating the song to those with a special someone. Along with the other single people in the crowd, I try not to look too awkward as the couples around us kiss and embrace tightly. As he begins, Josh taps his heart in time with the slowed drumbeat.
Throughout the set, Josh keeps going back to a flask of tea only to put it back down after blowing on it. ‘No matter how many breaks,’ he tells us, ‘I still burn my tongue on the tea”. We laugh. It’s weirdly comforting to know this brilliant, awe-inspiring singer still deals with the very mundane and human inconvenience of scalding your mouth from hot drinks.
In a literal change of pace, the next song is ‘Running Away’ (though this isn’t on their official printed out setlist for the night). There must have been a lot of caffeine in that tea Josh was drinking because he’s quite literally running about all over the place. The track is their latest release, and the excitement and up-tempo energy is infectious. Josh jumps off stage into the crowd to dance, disappearing deep amongst the thrilled gig-goers for almost the entirety of the song.
A surprise delight is ‘Let Me Feel Your Charm’ – a track they’ve surprisingly yet to release digitally. It’s another sweet love song and Tatiana takes the lead for most of it, commanding centre stage while Josh perches by the drums.
Thee Sacred Souls then deliver ‘Weak For Your Love’, a crowd favourite and their biggest hit that has everyone singing along and hollering in appreciation as Josh hits the high notes with ease. They thank us and then leave the stage, prompting the crowd burst into a raucous ‘one more song!’ chant. There’s a deafening chorus of cheers, shrill whistles cut the air, and thundering feet stomp the ground like a drumroll. Grinning, the band walk back on, Josh calling us “proper footballers” in appreciation of our footwork.
For the start of their encore, Thee Sacred Souls play ‘Future Lover’ and the band reorientate. Bassist Ray becomes the drummer, Alex takes over the electric guitar and Shay plays bass. The reason for the swap isn’t expressed and it mainly serves to flex just how talented these musicians are that they can switch instruments with ease.
For the last two songs ‘It’s Our Love’ and their viral track ‘Can I Call You Rose?’, the band are back in their original positions. For the former, Josh walks deep into the crowd, his weightless vocals serenading the lucky people around him. During ‘Rose’, we see Josh bow his thanks to someone who hands him a fake red rose. He clutches it fervently as he sings, his eyes shut tight as he stretches out his arms and the note he holds.
And so, at 9:30pm (pretty early for a headline set), the gig ends. Thee Sacred Souls thanks us warmly before exiting, their eyes fleetingly gazing out at us all with equal awe, like they can’t quite believe the warm and enthusiastic reaction Manchester has received them with. Thee Sacred Souls are at the peak of their powers and utterly resplendent in their nostalgia-hued haze. I leave Band on the Wall pleasantly unbruised, high on the immaculate vibes of the night.
With a polished modern production: crisp drums, gentle reverb and excellent mix of the background vocals, Thee Sacred Souls have one foot in the past and present. Several have already described them as having a timeless sound but they are equally timeless in the sense that their soulful sound will have you completely invested in the present moment of their buttery vocals, raw emotion and admirable display of human vulnerability.
Thee Sacred Souls live sets are a love letter to the lonely: simultaneously an encouragement to be vulnerable while also vocalising the awkward difficulties of navigating new relationships. Regardless of your own journey with romance, watching Thee Sacred Souls live will infect you with a love philosophy that will put you in the mood to buy flowers for strangers.
