On a rainy Monday night, hotly-tipped Reading outfit The Amazons arrive in Liverpool to preform a sold-out show, our own James Ainsworth took to the Buyers Club to see if the hype was real.

Danye opened and provided their psych-pop sounds to warm up the already notably large Buyers Club audience. The band themselves where on top form with all the band members giving it all they had, playing to a large audience for an ever increasingly popular band, notably the drummer who appeared to be having the time of his life with passion roaring from his face.

However, something in the band seemed off, perhaps it was the lead singer who was seemingly a tad nervous, or because the sound levels appeared off, with us not being able to hear the vocals or the random bits of feedback that none would be able to find the source of. Just something about this set was off and we were left feeling that Danye had more to give and tonight perhaps, they weren’t at their prime. No matter we certainly enjoyed it and the audience liked it too. Leading perfectly to our next opener.

Our next act of the night was the angelic, Cupids who played a frankly flawless set. Hailing from Manchester, Cupids are another band to look out for. With fiery vocals and guitar riffs pounding out of the speakers , as lion-like as the singer’s mane. Cupids showed an excellent mix of stage presence and pure musical talent, a rare sight sometimes. They certainly had the audience on their side, with them dancing and fist pumping to every beat, I could have watched them all day. But alas, it was time for the real deal.

At approximately 9:50, the lights cut, an unusual sight in the Buyers Club. Cheering started from the crowd as The Amazons hit the stage, a moment of silence passed then the strobe lights hit and The Amazons started with the full might of their power, blasting off the start of their set like rocket into space. After a few songs, Matt, the lead singer stopped to thank everyone for coming and thanked Danye and Cupids for opening, even though he struggled to remember Danye‘s name, which came off very sweet and sincere. They then proceeded to play their new single “Black Magic” which is a fantastic new single and sound utterly brilliant in the Buyers Club.

One thing that struck us during the whole experience is the venue itself. Of course, the Buyers Club is a lovely venue, one the SFN team frequent often, being our joint favourite venue. But the venue didn’t seem to exactly fit the band. It seemed to small for them and the audience. Admittedly, The Amazons are a band that have quickly rose to popularity, with a few Radio 1 DJs repeatedly playing them. Perhaps the venue was booked before they had a surge of popularity? Who knows, I certainly appreciate seeing a band of this calibre in such an intimate venue. The Amazons then played their top tracks, “In My Mind”, “Little Something” and of course “Black Magic”. In the end it was an unforgettable night with a band I look forward to watch grow.

Photography and words by James Ainsworth.