Review by John Rawstron

Pleasure Inc

It is never easy being the opening act for a festival with 8000 attendees, but Norwich’s own Pleasure Inc brought a huge dose of energy to Earlham Park and absolutely owned the stage. Tight, loud, infectious and impossible not to get caught up in, they had the crowd bouncing from start to finish.

There’s something seriously special about seeing a local band deliver with this much confidence and energy . The songs sounded fantastic live, the atmosphere was electric, and they left the stage looking like they belonged on a much bigger one.

A brilliant performance with the perfect blend of Indie & Hiphop from a band that deserves to be heard far beyond Norwich, with already been heard on national UK Radio Stations, you just know they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

 Seb Lowe 

Seb possesses an absolutely extraordinary voice that immediately commands attention and brings a real sense of character, emotion and drama to every song. His distinctive vocal style is a perfect match for his indie-folk-rock storytelling, allowing him to weave together vivid narratives, heartfelt moments and infectious energy in a way that feels both completely authentic and utterly captivating.

There’s something incredibly compelling about watching Seb perform. He has a natural stage presence and an individuality that sets him apart, with the confidence and charisma of someone who seems destined for much bigger stages. 

As his career continues to develop, it’s genuinely exciting to imagine where that distinctive combination of voice, storytelling ability and theatricality could take him. There is a real sense that, given the right opportunities and continued growth, Seb could one day find himself performing on the West End — and it would be no surprise to see him thriving there.

He is also brilliantly supported by a fantastic band, who bring an impressive depth and richness to the overall sound. Kate Couriel is a particular standout, adding beautifully expressive violin alongside her backing vocals, which complement Seb’s voice wonderfully and help elevate the songs to another level. The chemistry between the musicians is evident throughout, creating a performance that feels polished and accomplished while retaining plenty of spontaneity and personality.

Together, they deliver a hugely enjoyable, energetic and engaging performance that draws you in from the very beginning and leaves a genuine lasting impression. There’s a wonderful balance between the intimacy of indie-folk storytelling and the scale and drama of a theatrical performance, making Seb Lowe and his band an especially exciting act to watch. If this is an indication of what’s to come, there is undoubtedly a very bright and exciting future ahead.

Girlband 

Hailing from Nottingham, GIRLBAND! waste absolutely no time making their presence felt, launching into a blistering set with the brilliant ‘Not Like The Rest’. It’s an immediate statement of intent and a perfect introduction to a band who clearly have both the songs and the attitude to make a serious impression.

This is an intriguing and hugely entertaining trio. At the front, singer and guitarist Georgie is nothing short of mesmerising. There’s a real confidence and intensity to her guitar playing, but it’s her killer vocal that really grabs your attention. She has the kind of voice that demands to be heard, effortlessly cutting through the noise while giving the songs plenty of character and bite.

Behind her, drummer Jada is delivering an absolutely fantastic backbeat — and doing it from what must surely be the smallest drum kit ever assembled! Size clearly isn’t everything, though, because she gets an enormous sound from it, driving the band forward with energy, precision and plenty of attitude. I’m genuinely impressed by what she manages to coax out of that tiny collection of drums. That said, Jada, you deserve a bigger kit!

Holding everything together is bassist Kay, who brings a wonderfully cool and understated presence to the stage. Looking effortlessly stylish and seemingly taking it all in her stride, she provides the perfect foundation for the other two, adding another layer to the band’s increasingly infectious sound.

Most importantly, GIRLBAND! have great tunes. There’s a freshness and immediacy to the material that makes it incredibly easy to get swept up in the performance.

The K’s

The stage is set for forty-five minutes of absolute mayhem, and The K’s don’t just deliver — they completely blow the roof off the place. From the moment they walk onto the stage, there’s an unmistakable feeling that we’re about to witness something very special.

Lead singer Jamie Boyle sets the standard immediately. He sounds absolutely razor-sharp, looks immaculately dressed and, more importantly, commands the stage with the confidence of a frontman who knows exactly how to hold an audience in the palm of his hand. He’s on the front foot from the very first note — prowling, engaging, connecting and driving the performance forward with relentless energy.

It isn’t long before the entire crowd belongs to him. A huge, infectious singalong erupts, and for large parts of the set it feels like far more than simply watching a band perform. Instead, you’re swept up into one enormous, euphoric collective moment. Boyle is completely in control of his surroundings, often with his left foot casually resting on that huge metal fan, looking every inch the rock ’n’ roll frontman while absolute chaos unfolds around him.

Then there’s Ryan Breslin on lead guitar, adding another serious dose of firepower to an already formidable live sound. His playing brings another dimension to these songs, making everything feel bigger, louder and more exhilarating with every passing minute. The riffs hit hard, the energy never drops and the whole band sounds absolutely colossal.  It’s seriously impressive stuff. The K’s don’t simply put on a gig — they create an atmosphere, feed off the crowd and turn the whole room into one giant, roaring celebration.

Girl In The Year Above just happen to look like a seriously cool rock band — watching them perched on the hill, shades firmly intact, taking in the previous acts, they already had that effortless, festival-ready swagger. But they sound even better.

With Jennifer Ball’s gorgeous, dulcet vocals booming out across the stage, their sound sits somewhere between The Last Dinner Party, Kathryn Joseph and This Is The Kit — atmospheric, powerful and utterly captivating. And their take on Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop’, as featured on the Peaky Blinders movie soundtrack, is absolutely to die for. A stunning version that stopped me in my tracks.

We’ll be hearing a lot more from these Devonians, of that I’m absolutely certain. One to watch — and one hell of a band to discover.

RAZORLIGHT

Razorlight were last seen in these parts — quite literally in this very park — back in 2022, when they supported Noel Gallagher at the Neck of the Woods event. And, just as they did four years ago, they once again prove themselves more than worthy of the billing, delivering a hugely enjoyable set that has the crowd firmly in the mood for the headline act to come.

From the moment they take to the stage, there’s a real sense that Razorlight are completely at home here. At the centre of it all, naturally, is frontman Johnny Borrell, who is sounding simply magnificent. His voice remains instantly recognisable, full of character and attitude, and he commands the stage with the kind of swagger that makes it very difficult to look anywhere else.

Razorlight have effectively transformed the stage into their own rather eccentric sitting room, complete with furniture, assorted pot plants and even a picture of The Doors’ legendary frontman Jim Morrison adorning the walls. It’s a fantastic touch and gives the whole performance a wonderfully intimate, lived-in feel, as though we’ve been invited into Razorlight’s own home playground for the next hour.

What better place to run through a selection of the songs that have soundtracked so many years?

The big hitters are all here. ‘Golden Touch’ gets the reaction you would expect, while ‘In the Morning’ and ‘Don’t Go Back to Dalston’ provide further reminders of just how many memorable tunes Razorlight have tucked away in their catalogue. Then comes the moment everyone knows is coming.

‘America’.

It’s a suitably epic way to bring the set to a close, with Razorlight pulling out one of their biggest and most enduring anthems and leaving the crowd suitably primed for what’s still to come.

Four years on from their last appearance here, Razorlight have once again delivered the goods. Johnny Borrell sounds fantastic, the band are on top form, the stage looks brilliant and the hits just keep coming.

The Molotovs

Featuring brother-and-sister duo Mathew and Issey Cartlidge, The Molotovs deliver a set that is impossible not to get swept up in. Their songs may be short, sharp and deceptively simple, but there is an infectious energy running through every one of them, with quirky three-minute pop gems delivered with plenty of attitude and an unmistakable mod edge.

The band’s sound proudly wears its influences on its sleeve, drawing heavily from the likes of The Kinks, The Jam and The Small Faces. Yet rather than simply recreating the spirit of those classic bands, The Molotovs take those ingredients and inject them with their own youthful energy and sense of fun. 

There is a real sense of immediacy to the songs — catchy melodies, punchy rhythms and hooks that seem to lodge themselves in your head almost before the song has finished.

Mathew and Issey make for a particularly compelling partnership on stage, bringing a natural chemistry and confidence that gives the performance an extra spark. There is a wonderful balance between the retro influences and something distinctly contemporary, making the set feel both nostalgic and refreshingly alive.

What really makes The Molotovs stand out, though, is their ability to pack so much personality into such compact songs. Nothing feels overstretched or overworked; each track arrives, makes its mark and leaves you wanting more. It is classic pop songwriting distilled down to its most exciting essentials clever, catchy, energetic and delivered with bags of character.

By the end of the set, it is abundantly clear that The Molotovs are a band with both the songs and the charisma to make a serious impression. If this is what the next generation of mod-inspired pop sounds like, then the future is looking very bright indeed.

James

James have gone from being one of the great cult bands of the British indie scene to genuine stalwarts of it. What has remained remarkably consistent throughout those years is the extraordinary loyalty of their audience. You only have to walk towards the venue tonight to realise just how deep that connection runs. There are James shirts everywhere, the familiar faces of long-term devotees mixing with something that is perhaps even more remarkable: young fans discovering the band for themselves.

That, to me, is one of the most impressive things about James. After a career spanning more than four decades, they haven’t simply retained their original audience — they have continued to attract and inspire an entirely new generation of James obsessives. Their music has somehow transcended generations, with songs that first soundtracked the lives of fans in the 1980s and ’90s now being embraced by people who weren’t even born when some of those records were released. That’s quite an achievement for any band, and testament to the timeless quality of what James have created.

And then, of course, there is Tim Booth.

As we take our places, Booth appears looking as resplendent and wonderfully eccentric as ever, sporting a magnificent white fur jacket accompanied, naturally, by his now trademark woolly hat. There is something reassuringly familiar about seeing him take to the stage — the unmistakable frontman of a band that has spent decades refusing to stand still.

But tonight is going to be slightly different.

We are told that technical problems have wreaked havoc with the planned setlist, which has effectively been torn up. Some songs unfortunately can’t be played because of the issues encountered before the band even took to the stage. Rather than allowing this to dampen the occasion, however, Booth embraces the uncertainty. The set will simply unfold as it unfolds, with the band taking things as they come.

We’re also warned that there will be no encore. Because of the fifteen-minute delay in getting on stage, James have decided to play straight through rather than disappear at the end and return for the customary encore. In true James fashion, there is a sense that tonight isn’t going to be dictated by convention. 

One of the highlights was seeing how Tim Booth interacted with the audience, walking across the platform like it was a catwalk, to touch sone hands of the audience.  So much credit to the brilliant organisers at Rock n Roll Circus, for this unique platform for Tim Booth to go beyond the stage and pit, to interact with the festival goers.