I'm very late to be publishing this as life seems to have become busy recently - this was a show I went to about a month ago which definitely deserves a mention. EEVAH are an exciting, innovative and energetic band, until recently a very hard-working duo, Nicole Hope Smith and Richard McNamara, but now bolstered by the addition of drummer Fay.
Their gig at Peterborough's Met Lounge came near the end of an extensive UK tour, 16 dates in all. That is very hard work, but the band showed no signs of tiredness, being jaded, or any such negative feeling. They opened their performance in style, projecting a 10-minute timer onto the backdrop and walking on with seconds to spare before launching directly into their first song, 'Say It's Just Us'.
This is one of their strongest songs, and that gave the set an immediate sense of impact and intent. Business was meant, no holds were to be barred.
Later in the set there were some further huge moments: 'Wild Things' sparked an impromptu singalong with all hands in the air; this led to Nicole inviting more participation in 'Out of Focus', which was duly given. A lot of EEVAH's songs seem to be designed for this kind of interaction.
Around the middle of the set, there was a showcase for their newest single (now released), 'Notice You'. This is a slower, brooding song, thick, misty and reflective, remaining relatively muted, but still somehow euphoric and quite moving. It was great to hear Richard contributing much more on the vocals here, too, providing a great contrast in tone.
The set was notable for the sense of consistent, driving energy - an energy that was sustained and felt joy-filled and sincere, too. It was one of those sets that quickly felt immersive and all-encompassing. Time passed quickly, there were no real lulls, beyond the occasional short pauses for breath between some of the songs.
Nicole engaged brilliantly with the audience, filling us in on the backstory to some of the songs, their tour experience, and even her idea for a kind of lazy Susan to stand on during shows (tonight she was using a box as a kind of prototype...!)
I'd only seen the band play once before, about a year ago in Nottingham as part of Record Store Day. I was immediately impressed, but do remember thinking that live drums would provide a great boost. That's now happened with the addition of Fay, who brings another layer of energy and also exuberance - she plays with a huge smile on her face while adding an organic richness to the sound, and her own flourishes to EEVAH's songs. She really came into her own on songs such as 'Heartbeat Is Missing', another newer one, which is centred around a pounding beat.
I left this gig on a definite high, and with that feeling of having seen, up close and personal, a band who are certainly destined for bigger things.
EEVAH's latest EP 'Simplify Life' was released on 2 May.
Date of gig: 27 April 2024
Full setlist:
Say it's just us
Can't breathe
Look what you had
Apology
Wild things
Out of focus
Notice you
I wanna be yours
I still think of you
One of those days
F***ing feelings
Heartbeat is missing
I didn't see it coming
Promises