Red Rum Club claim proved true as 'unusual' aspect steals the show

Red Rum Club delivered a spectacular homecoming gig last night as Sir Elton Jon's claim about the band was proven right.

As fans arrived into the beautiful Grand Central Hall in the standing section and on the balcony above, there was a sense of excited anticipation. Red Rum Club are a band on the rise both in Merseyside and the UK, fresh off a sell-out show at the M&S Bank Arena.

There was little doubt then that Grand Central Hall would fill up for this gig, one of the headline acts of this year’s Sound City festival.

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What was slightly unusual was that this headliner started at 5.30pm. Usually big gigs like this are saved until later in the evening. This was acknowledged in one of frontman Fran Doran’s early interactions with the crowd when he said: “I know it’s only early, I know a lot you want a drink, so let’s set you up properly for the weekend.”

The earlier start-time certainly didn’t affect the band’s performance. They performed hits from across their discography, from 2020’s Eleanor to Undertaker from their latest album.

There are some bands where the lead singer carries the entire thing and the other members fall into the background, but Red Rum Club definitely isn’t one of those. Every song last night felt multi-faceted, creating a truly vibrant and unique sound.

I’m not sure you can pin it down to one thing, but having a dedicated trumpet player in Joe Corby is truly excellent. It’s something Sir Elton John pointed out when he praised their work earlier this year, saying: “I’m so impressed that you have a trumpet player in the band. He adds so much to your sound and it's very unusual for a band to just have a trumpet player.”

With something like Hole In My Home, Joe makes the instrumental sections arguably the most exciting part and gives the song a distinctive sound that is missing from other indie and pop records. Clearly, this legend of music knows what he's taking about.

The crowd were so impressed with this song that they kept singing the chorus after the band had finished playing it. This foreshadowed what happened with Red Rum Club’s last song of the night.

The adoring hometown crowd kept singing Would You Rather Be Lonely as the band packed up their things, with many keeping it going as they filed out onto Renshaw Street and headed back to Slater Street to take a look at the multitude of other Sound City gigs.

It summed up the Bootle-based band's commitment to Merseyside and its emerging musicians. By performing at Sound City, they have likely introduced many to the lesser-known acts making waves on Merseyside and beyond. Scouse band The Sway are just one example of this, who were the support act for their gig.

They have also lent their support in recent months to Salt & Tar, Bootle's new 3,000 capacity outdoor arena which is a key part of the area’s regeneration.

It’s something Fran recognised. Despite his surprise at the early start time for the gig, he told the audience: “This show is not for us, it’s for everyone.” They were delighted to be back on home soil after a string of gigs across the country, adding later: “The love for our city - every time we come back, we remember.”

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