I arrived at Sidney and Matilda, one of Sheffield’s thriving grassroots music venues, at around 7.30pm. As usual, the venue was lively, with a nice mix of clientele, enjoying a drink, with a good safe friendly atmosphere circulating the place, plus an excellent plethora of music, such as DJS, a charity event downstairs, and of course, the wonderful Static Lives, who were set to play in a room also upstairs at 9pm in support for their latest single release entitled “RUSH”
I was surprised to see that the Layout of the venue had changed since my last visit, and all for the better, new bar, new sound system upstairs, and new lighting and effects in the upstairs concert room.
So how did the evening go?
Doors opened bang on time at 7.30pm, and the crowd, a nice mix of ages, and music tastes were eager to get into the vibe for a great night of entertainment. Two support acts, Sour Breath, played through a nice Punk/metal set. They got the fans warmed up nicely for Asboface, who played a great collection of what I would describe as punk, with a hard Metal edge. They had the crowd going and interacted well, the vocalist was excellent, jumping around with his tambourine, reminding me of a new-age Bez from the Happy Mondays. They set the Mood of the crowd for the headliners “STATIC LIVES.
So, who are Static Lives?
They are Sheffield’s self-proclaimed dance-rock alternative band. A Three Piece Formed in 2024, they have successfully captivated the UK by selling out their Sheffield show and leaving London anticipating their arrival. Musical influences come from Bloc Party, Paramore, and Cassyette. The band has also secured a spot at this year’s Tramlines Main stage.
The new single entitled “RUSH” is the first vinyl release from the New “S&M record label. That supports grassroots music and venues.
Lori the band’s charismatic vocalist, describes “RUSH” as the euphoria experienced after a spectacular night out.
On with The Show.
Static Lives came to the stage at around 9pm, to a great reception from their fans. Happy smiling faces abound, and the atmosphere was electric. They blasted their way through an eight-song set list, that did not disappoint. The new lights enhanced the performance, and I especially liked the holographic television set, it was very trippy.
Lori a great vocalist and performer, took the first song “Haunted” to warm up, after that her performance was top-notch. I was surprised to see that Lori was not playing guitar, the band consisted of a bassist with effect peddle and a drummer both of whom did a great job.
The band interacted well with the crowd, being down to earth, and having a laugh on stage. Lori’s stage presence was great dancing and raising her arms to get the fans going, the drummer was a showman great at his job, and the bassist reminded me of someone who had been transported from a 1960s-70s Cheech and Chong show with his glasses and moustache, a cool dude.
The standout performance was “RUSH”, the band got into this song, dancing around on stage, the drummer was fast and great to watch, and the bassist looked cool, and was enjoying the reaction from the audience. The finale was when Lori made her way into the crowd and got a mosh pit going. The fans went wild and loved every minute of craziness.
To conclude, the band played a great show, enjoyed by the fans, and myself. I would recommend seeing the band live if you enjoy an energetic, and enjoyable performance combined with a great wall of sound.
SET LIST
Haunted
Lights out
Gravity
Asphyxiate
Check your narcissism
social anxiety
One eye open
pathetic fallacy
Rush
