Cheatahs, Independent, Sunderland

Arriving in a damp and dark Sunderland after battling the inclement weather, we arrive for our first taste of the new Independent. You can see where it once stood just across the road, home to so many great evenings but we’re sure the new incarnation will yield as many awesome evenings.

Unfortunately, we miss first band Cohesion, but we’re in time for Moon Gangs. Will Young’s diminutive figure hides behind a variety electronic trickery, his beautiful loops and drones with sporadic synth stabs that pierce the air throughout his set. Whilst this is fine for the first ten minutes the drones remain fairly stagnant and there needs to be at least a small amount of variation.

Taking nothing away from the set, the drones are beautiful yet lacking in imagination. Something, which cannot be said for Cheatahs; their well-crafted indie rock is perfectly balanced and they hit the stage with the intention of transporting us all to a much sunnier place than Sunderland. Tracks like ‘Geographic’ filling the new iteration of the Independent; their rocky guitars leading the way throughout the set entire. Much like ‘Kneworth’, it seems to be a slightly darker track, the guitars taking control as the vocals take a backseat. The band really let go here, somewhat heavier than the rest, it maintains, and embodies, the balance of the evening. Cheatahs seem to have a bit of everything, whether it is vast expansive or something intense and dark, both facets are on show this evening.

Tracks like ‘Fall’ see the band becoming freer, opening up, in turn this sees the sound relax, becoming a little less harsh as the vocals take precedence. They close out their main set with a rather lively rendition of ‘The Swan’ which has everyone in the crowd nodding along.

Overall it’s an excellent evening, despite the weather, and the smaller than anticipated crowd. Cheatahs made up for it with their huge presence, they were truly excellent this evening and its not difficult to see why they’re firmly on the up.