Live Review: English Teacher - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds 25/04/2022
Following the release of their debut EP, English Teacher kicked off their mini three date headline tour at the iconic Brudenell Social Club in Leeds with a truly joyous performance that exemplified the bands unique position within the British post-punk zeitgeist.
Forming in Leeds at the advent of the pandemic, English Teacher’s rise to prominence has been nothing short of awe inspiring. Passionately endorsed by many within the industry, the band are regularly cited as the “one’s to watch” within the burgeoning post-punk scene and taking that into consideration, it came as no surprise to find that the Brudenell Social Club was packed to the rafters with expectant fans desperate to catch a glimpse of the next big thing on the bands debut headline tour.
Taking to the stage to the familiar sounds of the ‘Come Dine With Me’ theme tune, the band emerged gleeful in the face of this early career highlight, a refreshing change from the contrived solemnity displayed by many of their peers. This was their night and they were determined to savour every moment. The band kicked off proceedings with an as yet unheard track, one of three that would appear on the evenings set-list. Oozing the frenetic energy that has come to define their work to date, the band hooked the audience with near immediate effect. Following their opener, they would play through their debut single ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ before arriving at the track that the track that originally put them on the map.
Released in early 2021, ‘R&B’ was the band’s breakout hit and remains a fan favourite just over a year on from it’s initial release. As Nicholas Eden played out the tracks opening bassline with brilliant nonchalance, the crowd ignited into a frenzy echoing lead singer, Lily Fontaines lyrics word for word. Ferocious in it’s tempo, the cut was an early opportunity for mosh pits to form and for the band to show off their enviable musicianship with Douglas Frost on drums and Lewis Whiting on guitar both showing the full extent of their capabilities.
Following the rush of ‘R&B’ the band turned the dial even further, diving into ‘Mental Maths’ from their recently released EP before welcoming onstage a string section to accompany them on their rendition of ‘Polyawkward’. A highlight of the evening, the performance was nothing short of spellbinding with Fontaine displaying the full extent of her vocal range which is unrivalled within the UK indie scene except for perhaps the likes of Ellie Rowsell from Wolf Alice. With the band now in full flow they continued to fly through their setlist with a self assuredness that is usually reserved for more tenured acts, playing new tracks with a confidence that shows their unwavering faith in their creative direction.
The evening came to a close with performances of 'Yorkshire Tapas' and 'Good Grief' before a rare unscheduled encore saw the band return to the stage for one more run through of 'R&B' that provided just enough time for the band's lead singer to launch herself into the crowd for a celebratory surf that brought the evening to a classically rock n roll end. Following the gig, I noticed an unshakable smile almost tattooed to my face. The band's thorough jubilation in their performance was a refreshing sight and showed that in addition to creating some of the most exciting new music around, the band can also put together one hell of a live show, raw and joyous enough to rival any of their peers. English Teacher are a band that are here to stay and I for one can't wait to continue to watch them flourish.
Words by Jordan Corrigan
