Entertainment, Manchester, Review

Circa Waves, The Magic Gang and INHEAVEN @ Manchester Academy

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Humanity Hallows Issue 5 Out Now
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By Sam Gosling

Images: Georgina Hurdsfield


Despite being from Liverpool, Circa Waves have always had a bond with Manchester crowds and they certainly took the city by storm on Thursday night. Formed in 2013 the four piece have been riding a wave of momentum since their debut album Young Chasers back in 2015.

Now returning to a sold out Manchester Academy with their second album Different Creatures the band capture the their youthful crowd and added those not already initiated to the Circa Waves fan base to their growing army of loyal followers.

Support on the night came from INHEAVEN and The Magic Gang. INHEAVEN rolled through a set of songs that showed that they are certainly one to watch for the future. Ending with the brilliant Regeneration, the London band declared “This is the best crowd of the tour so far”.

I was curious to see if The Magic Gang deserved the hype that currently surrounds the Brighton indie rockers. With their bookish good looks and mellow guitars the four piece certainly seem poised for a real breakthrough into the mainstream in 2o17. From the opener All This Way to the last song Blue For You the Brighton band had the crowd dancing and generally mesmerised with their catchy sound.

Circa Waves opened with the anthemic Wake Up which had the crowd singing from its opening note. With a new heavier sound, the band’s new album Different Creatures shines when played live.

Fossils turned into a mass sing along and gave a welcoming atmosphere, as if the band truly belonged in Manchester. Another highlight was the album title track Different Creatures featuring a beautifully catchy hook that showcases the exact charm of Circa Waves. After an encore of two songs front-man Kieran Shudall declared; “I feel like you all know what’s coming” before ending with indie anthem T-Shirt Weather which was a highlight wtih the whole crowd sang every word.

Circa Waves are certainly heading for big things this year and when more people start to hear this new record they are surely going to blossom into one of the biggest indie bands in the country.

Set List;

Wake Up, Get a Way, So Long, Lost It ,Goodbye, Young Chasers, Fossils, Stuck, Out On MY Own, Stuck in My Teeth, Different Creatures, A Night On THe Broken Tiles, My Love

Encore – Loves Run Out (Acoustic), Fire That Burns, T-Shirt Weather


You can view all of Circa Waves upcoming tour dates on their website here and view Georgina Hurdsfield’s full album of images from the gig below.

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