Whereas many first-time performers would be hit by a wave of fear and anxiety, lead singer Curtis Longstaff was far from afraid to get involved with the crowd, calling out to them between songs and even beckoning the audience closer to the stage at one point. The energy within the venue was electric, with fans singing along to songs and cheering between tracks that made for a truly special night.
Each member brought something of value to the table, but the definitive standout was guitarist Dan Wright. His screeching riffs were nothing short of incredible, specifically on the guitar solo for the band’s latest single, 'The Opportunist'. It’s a segment that lasts for over two minutes and requires unbelievably intricate finger work. But Wright plays it as if it was nothing, hitting every note like a seasoned professional.
Porcelain performed all four of their singles, which were a delight to hear live for the first time. Despite this, one of the biggest highlights of the night was their cover of 'Bug' by Fontaines D.C.. Longstaff’s vocals are slightly softer than Fontaines’ Grian Chatten, but delivered a unique and equally pleasant take on the track, contrasting with the heavy instrumental. It felt pretty clear there were quite a few fans of both bands in the room that night, as that moment went down particularly well.
The performance overall was spectacular, and my only complaint was that the vocal mixing felt just slightly too low at times. Porcelain’s alt-rock style can make for some especially loud tracks, with explosive guitar riffs and drum hits. This made it a little hard to hear the stellar songwriting, and I just wish someone had turned Curtis’ mic up a little bit early on in the set.
This is a minor issue however, and one that doesn’t at all discount the Porcelain’s performance. It’s about as good as headline debuts get, and feels like the start of something seriously special for this Newcastle-based band.