Taking the stage for their biggest headline show of all time, Leicester-born and bred indie lads Easy Life filled the massive room at London’s famous Alexandra Palace with their succulent mix of uplifting and catchy, lofty spoken indie hip hop tunes they have become known and loved for.
Instantly turning the night into a gigantic party, it was up-and-coming duo Sad Night Dynamite that kicked off the show with a high-energy collection of trippy hip-hop and punk-inspired hits. Smashing through their set with a megaphone in tow and the request to the crowd to get as many mosh pits going as possible, the band set the bar just right for the rest of the evening.
After what felt like no time at all, the moment had come for Easy Life to put on the show of their lives. Donning matching leather jackets and hats, which can be purchased as part of their merch, they went right into what they know best with the funky ‘Growing Pains’ and ‘Daydreaming’ as openers.
What then followed was a perfectly balanced ensemble of old bangers and new hits, all caressed by the group’s cool, laid-back vibe and the urge to make the most of the night. While fan favourites such as ‘Sangria’, ‘skeletons’ and ‘ocean view’ turned the stony grounds of Ally Pally into a big dance floor, there was no lack of theatrics and fun, intimate moments. Halfway through the stellar ‘OTT’, vocalist and frontman Murray Matravers invited a stunned fan onto the stage to play guitar, “Quick, Ally Pally. Does anyone play the guitar?”, while the all-time sensation and festival anthem ‘nightmares’ had the singer crowdsurf all the way to the front of house at the back, with one half of the duo of Sad Night Dynamite jumping around in one of the countless mosh pits in the meantime.
Even closer to the end of the show, the surprises didn’t come to a halt, as the five-piece brought out American singer and songwriter Gus Dapperton to perform their collab ‘ANTIFREEZE’, setting the whole venue ablaze with excitement, while their yet-to-be-released track ‘Trust Exercise’ offered a taste for what is to come. And still, the band always came back to a place of gratitude, with Matravers stating that the show was the “greatest achievement of all” and that he was “holding back tears”, while band member Sam Hewitt took a quiet moment to speak out about mental health and suicide, introducing the group’s heartfelt song ‘Take Care’: “Please talk to your friends. Let people know how you feel. You shouldn’t ever feel like nobody cares, because we all care.”
Rounding out the night with the breezy ‘DEAR MISS HOLLOWAY’, the British group left the crowd in a state of a communal sway and nothing but joy lingering in the air. And with more live appearances and a couple of festival slots already confirmed, we cannot wait for the quintet to spread their euphoric bliss all over the globe.
Written by Laura Weingrill // photography by Jamie Macmillan
GEM Magazine 