After there huge headline at tramlines last year, I didn’t know if there was a way they could top it… but once again the Reytons have proved exactly why they are the first unsigned band to headline another major festival. YNOT festival!
The crowds were forming early with anticipation building from the minute the stage started taking shape with “Clifton food and wine” “Istanbul barbers” and “better bet” shops portraying the streets we are all so familiar too. Streetlights were up and the curtain across the stage further building excitement.
The set design was nothing short of amazing, but we didn’t expect anything less from the Reytons who always seem to go above and beyond any expectation.
21:15. The lights go down and the curtain drawn. Above the shops was a block of flats with windows depicting different scenarios throughout the set, every song felt like a story being told! The start of the set had us hearing voices from various people talking down to and belittling the band on online videos, with a shadow of a man with his head in his hands in the window above.
This was swiftly followed by a countdown, with all the fans counting down with it then….. red smoke! The crowds raw and pure energy was the perfect comeback to any words spoken by those doubting them online, the flames shot high from the front of the stage and as the band came out Jonny appeared from the flats above. What an entrance.
Jukebox followed red smoke for its uk debut after being released as a single for the new album “a love letter to a broken town” coming out August 7th. They’ve played this song on there US tour and the fans have been waiting patiently to hear it live, it did not disappoint!
The uk fans have finally got a taste of the new album and it’s looking to be the best yet. Antibiotics came with a couple arguing in the flat window above, the small details the Reytons lads and crew go into is often so overlooked but this detail really showcased what the song was depicting and it was a great touch throughout the whole of the set.
Harrison lesser, retro emporium, 2006 and on the back burner kept the crowd lively throughout the whole first half of the set, none stop bouncing, mosh pits and singing at the top of their lungs. The Reytons had arrived and had well and truly marked their territory at YNOT!
Jonnys speeches in-between songs offer a short break for fans to recoup after going in hard to tune after tune. not only that, it really shows just how much it means to him and the band to be playing these stages and how grateful they are for every single person standing behind that barrier supporting them. This band really knows how to make the fans feel connected, it seemed more than just a fanbase and more of a community.
Shoebox made the setlist again after its emotional run out at tramlines, this time was no different. The phone lights shon from the front to the back, having a slower paced song like this in the set really makes you reflect and live in the moment without the chaos of the mosh pits and bouncing crowds. It really was beautiful.
That crazy Reytons energy didn’t go missing with that track though, shortly after we were introduced to “best night of his life”. The newest single for the album “a love letter to a broken town”. Its first live play after being released just the week before on Friday 24th July.
That song really stood out for me in the set, it was raw, loud and in your face but in the best way. Showcasing that one night out many are so familiar with, broken glass shown on the windows of the flats above and flashing with each fast beat, it was sensational.
After this we had a huge surprise, buskers paradise with the one and only Lucy Spraggan. Lucy and Jonny worked incredibly well together, it added another layer to the song having her singing alongside and with her own verse. She appeared from the smoke on top of the flats before coming down alongside Jonny, meanwhile we had people walking across the stage showcasing our some would say “boring” or “usual” day jobs and livelihoods but ones that mean so much in the local community.
A postman walked past, shaking an older gentlemen’s hand as he passed him the paper. A lady with a pram quickly paced past and another on the flat balcony was overlooking the crowd with a cigarette in hand. The story this song tells is way beyond just the lyrics, it resonates with so many people in so many different ways.
The set came to a close with kids off the estate and low life. Jonny came down to the crowd and sung a part of kids off the estate from the barrier, once again including the fans in this monumental moment. They are the kids off the estate, and Jonny coming down towards the end of the set to sing with them was amazing to see. The fans were in awe, and as Jonny made his way back up to the stage and low life rang out they were well and truly up for one last dance.
Looking back at the crowd and seeing everyone giving it there all, on shoulders, down the front, at the back, either side and all across the huge field felt magic.
An unsigned band doing it all themselves with self admittedly little to no exposure on major outlets, packing out the MainStage on a Friday night at a major festival. It’s such a huge inspiration for everyone watching, and so very well deserved.
✍️ WORDS BY LILY DIMELOW FROM SLICE OF INDIE
📸 PHOTO CREDIT GEMMA JAGO
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