Reverend and the Makers at Concorde 2, Brighton - review

The seaside audience are hard to impress, usually being slightly older than your average gig audience, they represent a ‘cool’ part of the world and won’t embarrass themselves unless they are thoroughly impressed.

For Reverend and the Makers this was no such problem, a sell-out Concorde 2 crowd was eating out of the palm of John Mcclure’s hand from the first bell to the last.

Mcclure, now a veteran of the indie music scene, has seen his band rise and fall, twist and turn, die and be reincarnated in the last 18 years and Brighton fans witnessed the strongest, boldest version of the four piece there has ever been on a mild winter evening on the seafront.

Squeezed into the Victorian building was a range of people that would have been touched by every aspect of the Reverend's eclectic back catalogue through the years.

They filled the venue for both support acts, firstly the post-punk ramblings of Danny Goffey and the electronic indie-pop of The Ramona Flowers - a band that was built to make songs for FIFA soundtracks.

Mcclure’s band were cut from a similar cloth as their supporting acts at the start of their career, as demonstrated by the opening track of their setlist - the title track of their debut album, The State of Things.

A noughties poem surveying the brutal reality of Sheffield, the song hits a chord with the ‘Rev Army’ who raise the volume with each passing witty lyric.

John and his crew had walked on stage to the Rocky soundtrack and the 41-year-old continually told the crowd each song would be ‘banger after banger’.

They were swinging hard from round one, The Machine’s driving beat gets the five-piece and the front section of the crowd moving, before Rev orchestrates everyone in attendance to join in with the outro.

It’s a real treat for the old-school Rev fans, another tune from the first album, 18-30, is warmly greeted next, before one of the latest single Heatwave In The Cold North comes shortly after.

Mclure jokes the single has turned the band cool again, having been given air time as BBC Radio 2’s Song of the Week, its soulful melody is infectiously joyful and symbolises a return of the good times for the band.

With the additions of Laura Mcclure on keys and Antonia Pooles on Bass there is a new energy to the group, bringing to life songs such as Mr Glassalfempty and the Ska-inspired Bandits and Miss Brown.

Judging by this performance, fans have a lot to look forward to on the new record, High soars beautifully and Hate It When You Lie see McClure at his lyrical best.

But this is not a set solely to hit fans round the head with the new promotional material, the classics of Open Your Window, Shine The Light and Heavyweight Champion of the World are sang loud and proud by those in attendance.

A 90-minute set would be difficult to pull off for even the most experienced bands, but McClure’s raconteur-ing keeps the crowd on side for the lesser-known, slower tunes of Hard Times and Auld Reekie Blues.

Now, the band are building to a dramatic ending, they are trying to achieve the unthinkable, getting the whole Concorde 2 venue jumping from front to back.

Author Howard Marks’ thick voice rumbles through the speakers to kick off the house-infused indie floor-filler MDMAZING, which sets up the ear-bending club track Bassline.

The crowd is close to exploding, but the band keeps them waiting a little longer with the new single Problems and the melodic ballad of No Soap, but keeps them engaged with What The Milkman Saw.

The final three songs of the night is a statement for where the band are currently - positive, full of energy and deeply connected to their fans.

The Rev Army dance along to funk grooves of Out Of the Shadows and skank to the pop banger She Said He Loved Me, before ungluing the roof with the finale track Silence Is Talking.

The song’s hook - the trumpet sample of War’s Low Rider - means mission accomplished for the band, as the room shakes with movement as every person sings the iconic melody back to those on stage.

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The thing that has kept this band going through thick and thin is its connection to the fans, whether that be through replying to their questions on social media or performing initiate gigs to fans via Zoom.

Even on this night, the Brighton Rev Army were treated to an acoustic after show in the smoking area, singing along to the Dandy Livingstone’s Rudy, A Message To You.

This fan appreciation has created a sacred bond between the two, which was evident in every aspect of the show.

The set list was crammed with tunes for the hardcore supporters, but was also coated in sprinkles of the band's new sound, something that has taken them out of the indie landfill of the mid noughties and into realms of pop group royalty.

Bands only just starting out in the scene could learn a lot from watching a Reverend and The Makers show.

If they have any hope of creating similar scenes at a Brighton venue, they will need to learn their tricks and skill as soon as possible.