REVIEW: High-Octane Wunderhorse Prove To Newcastle That Rock n’ Roll Ain’t Dead
Written by Cian Mortimer on 21st October 2024
Fresh off the announcement that they’ll be supporting Sam Fender on his People Watching tour this winter, Wunderhorse rolled into Newcastle for the final leg of their own Midas tour.
As the Cornwall-based band took to the stage at NX Newcastle, they carried themselves with all the pomp characteristic of the great 90s rock bands. To kick the set off, intrepid frontman Jacob Slater grabbed the mic with authority and uttered one word: Midas.
That one single word, serving as the title track from the sophomore album the band were touring, sent them hurtling into their relentless hour-long set.
The crowd was onboard from the very first minute. Mosh pits opened up during the opening song, Midas, with adoring fans screaming the lyrics back at the Cornwall indie-rock quartet, setting the tone for the night.
Slater certainly looked the part in his blacked out sunglasses, as he leapt around on stage with a presence and energy akin to a prime Kurt Cobain. At various points throughout the set Slater threw himself about the stage like a rock n’ roll rag doll, jumped dramatically off the drummer’s platform, and even hit the drummer’s cymbal with the headstock of his guitar.
The rest of the band were somewhat more subdued in terms of their physical presence. Guitarist Harry Fowler, in particular, seemed to be almost falling asleep at certain stages but he still managed to hit all the right notes.
The run of songs that followed Midas saw the tempo drop somewhat with songs such as Butterflies, Emily, and Cathedrals. Although these songs were a little slower and more introspective than the rip roaring opener, the crowd didn’t lose any of its energy. Wunderhorse paid their most recent visit to Tyneside in March when they opened for Declan McKenna at the O2 City Hall.
The seven months which have passed since then have seen the band release a critically acclaimed sophomore album and generally go from strength to strength. Sunday night, as a result, was very much all about Wunderhorse.
Around the half way mark, the tempo began to pick up as the band teased their audience with an extended intro into a fan favourite. Leader of the Pack, the band’s most streamed song to date, had fans singing along from the guitar riff in the intro all the way through the song.
The second half of the set saw the energy levels inside NX Newcastle hit a new level. Fan favourites from both of the band’s studio albums were performed and the audience’s response was boisterous.
After performing their track Purple under specially choreographed purple lighting, followed by Rain from their latest album, Midas, Wunderhorse capped off their set with the more mellow tune, Superman.
As the band departed the stage for the first time, cries bellowed out from the crowd for more. Fans chanted in unison for the band to come back and play their hit song Teal, and there were even calls for them to return for not one but two more songs.
Slater and co soon returned to the stage and delivered an electrifying two-song encore with Teal and July, prompting the crowd to scream along at the top of their lungs. The intro to July even had fans mimicking the track’s clattering guitar stabs
Standing amongst the 2,000 person strong crowd, I found myself feeling privileged at having had the opportunity to see Wunderhorse in such an intimate setting. As the band continue on their meteoric rise, I don’t think it will be long before they are selling out much bigger arenas.
