The Rosadocs are one of Sheffield’s finest, cementing their place amongst the greats in the musically rich steel city. They’ve kicked off 2026 with a bang as they have been out on their travels across the country on their most extensive tour yet. The In Your Company tour, which is a cracking name for a tour, has been on the move between February and April with a return to The Octagon which they have already sold out before, debuts in staple venues like King Tuts and Gorilla as well as their debut in new places for the first time in venues in Milton Keynes and Grimsby. Growing up in a town where there’s barely a music scene, I do travel a lot to see bands so to see a This Feeling leading band like The Rosadocs down in Bristol and in such a special venue like The Louisiana was a real treat.
Opening the night was Wiltshire based Better Heaven who are helping lay the path for the indie rock scene in the Southwest. Vocalist Dakota Simpson and guitarist Declan Casey switched vocal duties but coming together to live up to that heaven name with their smooth, unified choruses. Songs like ‘24’ and ‘Texas’ brought the feelgood melodies and heavenly vocals that created a heartwarming atmosphere. They showed their professionalism by making light of two of Casey’s guitar’s strings breaking and if the third broke the set would have to end! But third time was the charm as the last guitar lasted to the end. Combining a tender presence but with full throttle rocking rhythms as the serene Simpson glided through each song to deliver their cheerful set.
Parlay have been making their way across the tour dates with The Rosadocs, and this included the London rockers making their debut in Bristol for this show. ‘Borderline’ brought the sassy groovy energy, and I particularly loved the final bridge before the outro of the “can you feel it” harmonies undercut by the repetition of “borderline.” Oscar Journeaux and Stanley Doyle also had that interchanging frontman relationship with such differing vocals to give their performance plenty of layers. They played such a variety of different tracks from the gloomy ‘Silver Sun’ with a clever transition into ‘I Want Out’ with dominant basslines from Webb and hyper drums from Oscar York. ‘Where The Night Goes’ closed out with spoken night that reminded me of a Yard Act track with classic early 2000s guitar riffs and catchy choruses.
You get to be right up, close and personal in a venue like The Louisiana and nothing says more personal than The Rosadocs walking through the crowd to get to the stage. They shook hands and said hello to a lot of fans as plenty of them have followed like ultras over the years which showed the lovely atmosphere that would ensue throughout the set. Walking on to ‘Common People’ of course by fellow Sheffield legends Pulp as the band egged on the crowd to singalong as they got themselves set up. They opened with the wonderful ‘At Your Door’ to get people moving straight away with layered vocals and Callum Raynor’s bouncing drums.
Since the last time I saw them, they’ve been getting busy with their releases, including their debut E.P. The City’s No Good For Reflection (2025). Another brilliant title. The leading single and the next track they played was ‘Bittersweet’ with brilliant lyricism, an addictive chorus and that anthemic feel with the guitars from Joe Egan and keyboards from Myles Henderson. Of course, I can’t not mention an incredibly unique voice from frontman Keelan Graney to round off this amazing track. Next was ‘No.54’ with a feelgood energy and reflective lyrics about where they grew up. The crowd were clapping along to this one straight away and dancing along to add to the atmosphere.
One tradition these guys have is to play ‘Settle Down’ in each new place they play so the people of The Louisiana got their turn. They joked with the crowd about the different age groups of attendees and where they fit into each part of the lyrics. This was an incredible track to witness with emotional vocals from Graney and a ballad singalong from the fans with hands being thrown in the air. The band have been trialling some new tunes this tour and one of those being ‘A Letter Home.’ The guitars sounded like Latin music which made for a really interesting element to their performance and with a slow but really effective outro to leave the fans in anticipation. Hopefully this one will get a full release soon. Keeping up with the ballad wholesome singalong was ‘Cross To Bear’ as all band members but Graney and Henderson sat around the stage so the crowd could be graced with an angelic duo performance.
Graney poked fun at the fact that the band would normally leave the stage altogether for this one, but I think them being sat around the stage watching made for a cosy campfire energy. Graney let go of the guitar for ‘Cross To Bear’ to move around the stage in an engaging manner as the fans swayed along. Who wants another ballad because they had another one right up their sleeve. With the beautiful ‘Where You’re Supposed To Be’ featuring hopeful drums, jangly guitars and colossal vocals from Graney, the crowd were treated with so many singalongs to create a moving atmosphere throughout. And to add to it all, The Rosadocs had their “Westlife” moment with all the phone torches shining away.
The energy was brought to back to the max with my personal favourite ‘Concrete,’ a return to their earlier material. This was absolutely huge, the distorted guitar riffs, clever lyrics and joyful drums made for another highlight of the night. This was another track that featured an incredible bridge before the final chorus with unbelievable wordplay. This is a particular part of the song I often like to repeat, and it translates so well to a live setting so if anything, you should experience ‘Concrete’ live at least once in your life. The crowd clapping along, the singular chord build up and Graney’s gritty vocals was such a sight to behold. The crowd echoed their pleasure with “we’re the Rosadocs army” chants.
The set drew to an end with two Rosadocs classics, ‘Towards The Sun’ and ‘Run Away Instead’ which fun fact, the former of these two tracks was written for Sheffield Steelers! With more anthemic choruses and exciting guitar riffs the crowd went absolutely wild, there was no letting up until the very end. I don’t know what it is about the Louisiana but every time I go, someone from the band always ends up deep in the crowd and this night was no different as Graney danced around in a circle for ‘Run Away Instead’ showcasing his amazing vocal abilities and bonding with all the fans in turn to make for an unforgettable end to the set. For Henderson, it was his birthday do and I’d say it’s been one for the books without a doubt. The Rosadocs showed tonight why they are such a prominent part of the grassroots movement and swiftly moving through the ranks of venues in each city and long may it continue for them!
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