We went to see up and coming Sheffield band Fairbarn, made up of George Johnson, Brad Furniss, Charlie Furniss and Chris Kitching, in their first major headline show at O2 Academy Sheffield earlier this month. The band played the small room in the Sheffield O2, an impressive venue for a band just starting out but still maintaining a special, intimate feel.
Photo: Press
The band’s impressively large fan base boasted a huge diversity of people both young and old. Every part of the room was buzzing with anticipation after the talented young supports the band had, highlights of the support included Greg Knowles, a soloist who mesmerised the room with only his voice and guitar and the fantastic main support which came from The Seamonsters, an all-girl 6-piece band from Sheffield who blew the crowd away with their fantastic sound. Every single member of the crowd seemed to be buzzing after The Seamonsters, ecstatic for Fairbarn. When they entered the stage they were met with such enthusiasm, screaming girls, crowd surges, you’d never have guessed that you were at an amateur gig for four teenage lads. The boys wasted no time in getting started, beginning with a lively cover of the Fratellis favourite, 'Henrietta'.
The band went on to play:
Progress
Acrylic
Men In Suits
She’s Electric
Some Other Bloke
Let’s Dance to Joy Division
Keith
T-Shirt Weather
Nothing Lasts Forever
A Certain Romance
A highlight of the night was the band’s rendition of ‘A Certain Romance’, an ode to their famous Sheffield predecessors, Arctic Monkeys, and an obvious crowd favourite. Although the set list mainly consisted of many brilliant covers, when Fairbarn played their own songs their own unique feel and twist was prominent, proving that the boys aren’t your average, run of the mill Sheffield band and are definitely one to watch.