Leicester lads Easy Life headlined the Motorpoint Arena on February 18th as part of their ‘Maybe In Another Life…’ tour, making it their first ever arena show to take place in their career.
For the alternative indie pop group, made up of members Murray Matravers, Oliver Cassidy, Sam Hewitt, Lewis Berry and Jordan Birtles, this was vastly different to their first ever show, which was at Nottingham’s Bodega back in 2017.
Cj Pandit was the first opening act of the night.
Also serving as an introduction to Leicester’s art-pop sound, the singer-songwriter performed a handful of his tracks including ‘Right Person, Wrong Time’.
Hip-hop duo Sad Night Dynamite, compiled of Archie Blagden and Josh Greacen, then followed.
After being part of the Reading and Leeds 2022 line-up, they were also named as one of the 20 essential rising band and artists to see during the festival season by NME.
The Somerset duo performed tracks including ‘Psychedelic Views’ and ‘Demon.’
Both singers found themselves involved in mosh pits in the middle of the crowd during their performance, setting the tone for what was to come.
As the lights dimmed, Easy Life’s staging, which consisted of a scene set up like a house with lights imitating the shape of a ceiling, began to light up, forecasting their entrance.
This set seems to be a popular trope amongst artists at the moment, with The 1975 and Harry Styles also using this concept.
The band’s initial appearance however was not completely smooth sailing, with drummer Oliver Cassidy falling off the stage as he greeted the crowd.
As gasps rose, it was clear that he was okay as security helped him back onto the stage to open the show with a song from their most recent album ‘MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE’ titled ‘Growing Pains.’
The setlist consisted of songs stretching across Easy Life’s entire discography, including their very first single ‘Pockets’ which appeared to be a fan favourite.
Furthermore, the decision to add a three-piece brass section to their band was a huge strength, amplifying the performance even further alongside the regular saxophone solos performed by member Sam Hewitt.
A highlight of the show certainly centred the band’s constant engagement with the crowd, with high energy levels being prominent throughout as fans screamed every lyric during this fast-paced show.
This ability to connect allowed one lucky fan to have their BeReal taken by Jordan Birtles and lead vocalist Murray Matravers to crowd surf all the way to the back of the crowd during their hit ‘Nightmares’, initially throwing himself into the audience to become completely immersed in the experience.
Another highlight of the night included the performance of their upcoming single ‘Trust Exercises’, which was written five years ago but never previously released.
Fans created a sea of phone lights within the arena, although Matravers warned, ‘be conservative with your battery- you’ve all got to get home after this.’
As Easy Life exited the stage, chants belting ‘one more song’ echoed across the arena and so unsurprisingly, the band returned to sing two more relaxed and mellow songs, ‘Fortune Cookie’ and ‘Dear Miss Holloway’, from their most recent album.
Exiting the stage to a flurry of applause, it was apparent that the crowd were sad that this spectacle was coming to a close.
The show definitely served as an indication of the band’s rise in the music industry, with the boys coming back to the midlands for this celebration only feeling right.
This monumental moment marks just the first of many arenas that Easy Life are bound to headline in the future, and we hope that they forever return to their roots so that we can continue to appreciate their talent.
Image Credits: Hannah Adams