This Is Radio Silence

A fortnight ago, on 5th October, I headed over to Sheffield to see This Is Radio Silence, one of my favourite bands. They were playing a support slot for I Am Imperfect, who were launching their debut EP, alongside another band who I managed to miss. This was a solo trip for me, and I was excited to go back to Sheffield for the first time in a few years. I'd almost not gone, but two factors swayed me. Firstly, a friend let me know that the venue was built around an open courtyard, meaning the CO2 levels would be low at the bar and in the social area. Secondly, the band had stated on social media that this was likely to be their last gig in their "current format", so I expected it might be a while before we saw them onstage again.

There aren't any late trains back from Sheffield on a Saturday, so I would have to miss the headliners' set, but I figured it'd be worth it to be able to have a few pints and not worry about parking in the city centre. There were a lot of delays and cancellations both ways, so I ended up taking an even earlier train home and not getting back until midnight. The venue was nice, I saw some old friends and met some new ones, and generally had a nice sociable time.

I'm really bad at describing gigs, but the TIRS set was brilliant. The band room was tiny, almost as small as my living room, and pretty packed. The band have a load of quality material to draw on, and they picked some real high points, including new single "By Everyone". The projected visuals complemented the music, and I was able to lose myself in the set.

I spent more time travelling than I did at the gig, but I don't regret it a bit. They're an amazing band on record, and even better live.