Daughter, the indie-folk band best well known for their hit song ‘Youth’ with members from North London, Switzerland and Italy played at Rock City on the 27th January after the release of their second album – Not to Disappear on the 15th January 2016.
I was eagerly anticipating their performance but also intrigued as to how they would convey the intense and meaningful message behind every lyric of every song. Daughter did not disappoint. The flawless acoustics made for a truly captivating performance, as every note was crystal clear throughout the venue. This intensified the vulnerability of their music which is often hard to achieve when standing in a sold-out venue with a capacity of 2,450. The vulnerability achieved only made their music more interesting to listen too and I found myself so captivated I didn’t move from my single spot the whole evening, as I felt Elena Tonra – the lead singer, was personally singing to me and that I was the only person in the room. Elena Tonra did not run frantically around the stage like DJ Locksmith in Rudimental in order to make her audience energised or hyped, but the crisp sounds of the electric guitar rippling through the audience seemed to do that all on it’s own. Not many artists sound better live than on a record, however, this is a skill Daughter seem to have mastered.
Daughter is the perfect band to see if one is in need of a relaxing, calming evening, an atmosphere created by Elena Tonra, as her humble, shy and quirky attitude made for a truly relaxing experience. The simplistic staging of a plain purple sheet as a backdrop created a minimalistic vibe paired with the intense, yet fantastic lighting. The flawless lighting was perfect in transforming Daughter’s music into something one may typically listen to at night as a relaxing bed time tune into a cleverly balanced relaxing yet dance worthy vibe. Whilst no level of lighting will ever turn Daughter into a band that will headline Stealth, this is what makes the band so beautiful, as they have their niche and they know what works for their sound.
As expected, ‘Youth’ – their most commonly known song with over 66 million plays on Spotify was one of the best songs performed by the band. Unlike most of their other songs, every audience member knew every single word of every line of every verse. The euphoric feeling of hearing the words of a fantastic song fill the venue sent shivers down my spine and is a particular highlight of my evening. The hypnotic guitar melodies and jagged sonic landscapes of Alone/ With You made that song particularly stand out too, however, unlike most other artists, every song was consistently as good as the other
It was Daughter’s first time headlining a venue in Nottingham, the crowd did not disappoint them and they did not disappoint the crowd. Daughter are most definitely worth seeing live, especially if your wanting to escape the cliché club music booming from the many clubs throughout Nottingham and in need of a night of great music with great people.
Lizzie Bramall
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