This unapologetically Sheffield band celebrated the release of their new album “Is this how happiness feels?” with a final intimate gig on their home turf, surrounded by their friends, family and tight-knit fan base.
The night started with a true party vibe, something the band is renowned for, singing “Happiness” and “Haircut” from the new album, encouraging fans to dance and sing, to bounce and get their palms up, a request Jon makes at all his gigs.
Halfway through, frontman Jon McClure paid tribute to his late father, Jon McClure Snr, who sadly passed away during the recording of this album. With very visible, raw emotion and tears in his eyes, he said, “The realisation that these are the last songs my dad will ever hear has really sunk in this week. This one is for you, Dad”. Jon went on to sing “27 past midnight”, a song written about Jon Snr’s passing and the loneliness he felt in the dark nights that followed.
Brushing off the melancholic feelings with a joke about his dad coming through on Ouija board, telling fans to “buy 10 copies of the album and get Reverend to number 1 in the charts”, the band continued with more upbeat songs, including “F**ked up”, a single released on 24th April this year, which collaborated with Robbie Williams.
Despite the gig’s main point being to draw attention to the new album, fans hoped to hear some Reverend classics, and they were not disappointed. Belting out favourites like “Champion of the World”, “Open Your Window” and “Shine”, Jon made sure the night ended on a high, thanking fans for being so supportive on their journey as artists.
Rounding up the night in true Jon fashion, he jumped off the stage, grabbed his guitar and headed outside to sing a few acoustic songs, much to the fans’ delight. Stood on the fire stairs outside the venue, singing “Crazy” and “A Letter To My 21-Year-Old Self”. Jon left the crowd to a deafening round of applause and cheers, finishing up a brilliant night of entertainment.
📸 PHOTOS BY HAYLEY GRICE
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