The Covasettes // The Bodega, Nottingham

The ‘Honeymoon Forever’ tour is a sight to behold

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

The Covasettes, taken by Mel Tumber

The Covasettes rocked The Bodega during a sold out show in Nottingham, and it was a sight to behold. The Manchester-based band, currently on their ‘Honeymoon Forever’ tour, are pre-emptively celebrating their debut album of the same name, set to release on April 10th later this year, and by the sounds of the singles they’ve been playing from the album on tour, it will be a very special release for them.

The energy-packed night began with Liverpudlian indie-rock band The Cheap Thrills, turning the crowd into a blur of clapping hands and people dancing, topped off with many voices singing along - clearly, they’ve made their mark as there were many fans of them in the crowd. From the jaunty, upbeat Tranquilo to the softer, calmer Calypso Blue, their music has a bit of everything, and they did a fantastic job of warming up the crowd, leaving the concert attendees buzzing and ready for the main act.

Before The Covasettes got on stage, The Killers’ Mr Brightside played on the speakers, riling up the crowd and ending with The Covasettes emerging into view, and a roar erupted from the crowd, welcoming them with shouts of support and love.

They kicked off the show with the first song from the unreleased album, Watching You, a song perfectly selected as a setlist opener with its slow start - but the tempo quickly picked up, accompanied by crashing drums and an ethereal-sounding guitar riff. Halfway through the song, there was a complete tempo shift, with the song becoming more rock-orientated, and mosh pits were quickly formed. As if the excitement wasn’t high enough already, the song became faster still for the final chorus, finishing the song off with both the band and the crowd fully energised and ready for more.

With Nottingham only being the second stop on their tour, the band was full of life and met the crowd with beaming faces, putting their all into the music. The lead guitarist, Matt Hewlett, seemed to be particularly excited, waving and smiling at fans in the front row, who, throughout the entire set, never let up and threw their all into the concert.

By the time the second song, Duvet Thief, rolled around, the crowd was having the time of their life, with beer flying everywhere and people colliding in more and more mosh pits. The singer, Chris Buxton, even joined in himself, walking into the crowd and being lifted up on somebody’s shoulders, sending me running and squeezing through the audience to the venue’s raised area to (successfully) capture the moment.

Both of the other two singles from the upcoming album, Such A Dream and What A Rush were also played, getting the fans excited for the new music and showing potential new fans at the show (myself included) what the band is capable of.

Lizzie Wenninger, the newest member of the band, proved that she could play more than just the keyboard - halfway through the show, she whipped out a violin and the band played a cover of The Verve’s 1997 Britpop classic Bittersweet Symphony, with Lizzie taking centre stage and winning the crowd over.

The Covasettes are the kind of band that knows exactly how to put on a show. Each member works with each other perfectly, merging together to become a single entity - one that would turn the heads and prick up the ears of anyone hearing their music. The Covasettes’ album tour is still going until February 27th, so do yourself a favour and check out a show!

Words and Photos - Mel Tumber