The Mic's Managing Director Ali Glen headed over to Bodega to see a fantastic set from the eclectic and energetic band, Courting.
Courting’s musical journey has been one of metamorphosis - having started out as the next
great hope for post-punk coming out of Liverpool, the group seemed to rebel against this
label. Growing from the simple yet catchy punk songs found amongst their early work,
incorporating previously untrodden influences into the genre on their debut album, the
ironically titled Guitar Music. Now, on their latest LP, New Last Name, that transition has
been fully realised, as the band assimilate their roots with glitchy synths and autotune
reminiscent of Charli XCX, whilst also drawing from midwest emo’s self-referential lyricism
and noodly guitar work.
One thing that has remained consistent throughout this path, however, has been the electric
energy found at their shows, a feeling which has, if anything, blossomed as the group have
honed their craft as a live band. At Bodega, the results of this hard work were on full display,
as the five-piece produced a gig which enraptured the packed venue with massive tunes
from throughout their discography, supplemented by the characteristic humour that has been
central to Courting’s appeal.
After promising indie-pop act Cosmorat’s supporting set had concluded, the first thing worth
noticing was the appearance of music critic Anthony Fantano’s review of New Last Name on
the back screen of the stage. Courting have been engaged in a tongue-in-cheek spat via
Twitter with Fantano, following his mixed reviews of some of the singles from the band’s
sophomore effort. In their typically sardonic manner, the band used this visual indicator to
show how far they’ve come to be a band of (both positive and negative) interest for one of
contemporary music’s leading tastemakers.
The show kicked off properly with new single Emily G, a terminally online yet somehow
simultaneously sincere love song. It’s testament to the trust that Courting have managed to
instil within their audience that they were able to open with a mid-tempo track such as this,
and still have the whole room holding onto - and indeed, singing along to - every word. When
I last saw Courting, they were opening with Football, a true, unapologetic rocker, so seeing
this change in approach indicates to me a band who have grown more secure in their ability
to command attention.
"It’s testament to the trust that Courting have managed to instil within their audience that they were able to open with a mid-tempo track such as this, and still have the whole room holding onto - and indeed, singing along to - every word."
This is not to say that, in their maturation, Courting have grown tired of the humble moshpit.
The following run of songs: Guitar Music’s Tennis, Crass (Redux), and Jumper, got the crowd
bouncing with abandon. Interspersed with the latter two songs were snippets of fun.’s We
is a refreshing lack of pretence in Courting’s appreciation of pop music, which serves to
make everyone feel at home at one of their gigs by giving both the most seasoned fan and
the newcomer something to belt out together.
Pop reverence is something that permeates into Courting’s original cuts as well as their
covers. “And now for the poppiest pop song to have ever graced these four walls”, stated
frontman Sean Murphy-O’Neill, before launching into New Last Name’s We Look Good
Together (Big Words). Whilst that may be something of an exaggeration - after all, this is a
venue which has hosted, amongst others, Lewis Capaldi, Charli XCX, and Marina and the
Diamonds - it is certainly a respectable attempt from the Liverpudlians. Although they shirk
from the comparison, the track’s punchy guitars and sharp synths would have fit well within
The 1975’s self-titled debut album. Whatever they want to associate the sound of the song
with, it nevertheless went down a treat with the Bodega, as did the following stretch of
tracks, which expertly intertwined early singles Grand National, Popshop!, and David Byrne’s
Badside with cuts from New Last Name.
It was at this point that the gig began to truly ramp up to crescendo. In one of the most
entertaining moments of the night, Murphy-O’Neill encouraged the audience to hurl abuse at
the band, for the purpose of recording a TikTok (naturally). Following on from an impressive
barrage of insults (a special shout out to the person who screamed “LIGHT 4!” in reference
to Fantano’s infamous rating system), they exploded into Famous. The release of
aggression, no matter how playful, worked to whip the crowd into a frenzy, as this created by
far the biggest pit of the night, one which was sustained for the rest of the show. From here,
the night devolved into a beautiful chaos; the setlist was abandoned as requests for Not Yr
that these songs, their first two singles ever, were still held in such high regard by the crowd,
and noticeably put everything they could into these numbers as a token of their appreciation.
"Both in instrumentation and themes, Courting depict and represent many modern anxieties for young people, particularly with regards to navigating the increasingly intertwined online and “real” worlds."
The night closed with a return to the setlist, in the form of a combined version of Loaded and
New Last Name’s lead single Flex. Singing along to the bridge of the latter track (“I just
wanna ball out with my friends/I wish my lifestyle was publicised”), I came to realise the ways
in which this band had managed to demonstrate the significance of live music in the modern
age. Both in instrumentation and themes, Courting depict and represent many modern
anxieties for young people, particularly with regards to navigating the increasingly
intertwined online and “real” worlds. Yet, on an otherwise nondescript Tuesday night, these
anxieties can be soothed by accessing a community of this very demographic, united by the
opportunity to jump and sing along with a band who truly get their generation. It is a lifeline
for many, myself included, and, as exhibited by the care and attention they put into providing
such an enjoyable show, it is clear Courting understand the power they hold to make
someone’s week that little bit brighter.
Ali Glen
Edited by Tabitha Smith
Cover Image courtesy of Courting via Instagram
Featured Image courtesy of Courting via Facebook
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