Nottingham’s Rock City is built for nights like this, sweaty, loud, and completely euphoric. Circa Waves rolled into town with a set packed with festival-ready anthems, deep cuts, and fresh material, proving once again why they remain one of the UK’s most reliable indie powerhouses. But before the Liverpool lads took over, the stage belonged to Manchester’s Corella and the long-awaited return of Peace, both of whom ensured the energy was at full capacity before Circa Waves even played a note.
Corella wasted no time getting the crowd involved, the four-piece bouncing across the stage, stirring up singalongs, and ensuring every corner of Rock City was moving. There was no warming-up period, this was a band who knew exactly how to command a room. Mid-set, frontman Joel Smith divided the crowd, igniting a left vs right sing-off that had Nottingham roaring in response. The highlight came in their closing moments as Smith stepped into the crowd, formed a circle of fans around him, and then crowd-surfed back to the stage. It was clear, this wasn’t just another support slot for Corella. It was a moment.
As the buzz from Corella’s set settled, Peace stepped up, but not without a challenge—a technical issue left them without a bassist, forcing them to rely on a digital bass. Lesser bands might have stumbled, but Harry Koisser turned it into a moment, joking, “How do you play a bass solo without a bass player? I’m going to try something anyway.” As the stage glowed purple, he launched into a hypnotic solo that somehow worked, with the crowd nodding along, fully locked into the groove. From there, Peace made the set their own. “California Daze” saw the entire venue swaying, eyes closed, lost in nostalgia, while “1998” built into a swirling wall of sound, guitars crashing as fans lost themselves in the moment. It might not have been the set they originally planned, but Peace more than delivered, proving their return is one worth celebrating.
Then came the main event. As Circa Waves took to the stage, a wave of neon light flooded the room, their futuristic LED cube backdrop flickering to life. Wasting no time, they launched straight into “Let’s Leave Together,” setting the pace for a relentless, high-energy set. The first massive singalong arrived with “San Francisco,” the entire crowd screaming back every lyric, before “Sad Happy” sent Rock City into a bouncing sea of bodies, the pulsing orange lights matching the sheer joy in the room.
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, are you feeling alright?” shouted Kieran Shudall, the roar of the crowd answering for him. Without hesitation, the band dived into “Stuck in My Teeth,” and suddenly, it was 2015 all over again—claps echoed from the front row to the balcony, fists punched the air, and the chorus was shouted with all the force of a crowd reliving its youth. But if there was ever a moment to embrace the Valentine’s energy in the air, it was “Lemonade,” as couples threw their arms around each other, swaying in sync under the warm stage lights.
The slow-down didn’t last long. “Shall we do a rock song for Rock City?” Shudall teased, before commanding, “If somebody falls over, pick them up… YOU READY???” The words barely had time to land before the pit ripped open, bodies colliding in a flurry of indie-fuelled chaos as the opening chords of “Goodbye” rang out. Nottingham did not hold back.
After a moment to thank the crowd, Circa Waves took things up another level with “Le Bateau,” a track from their latest album that hit particularly hard with the Valentine’s crowd as they belted out, “I only wanna be with you.” The energy soared again for “Jacqueline,” fans clapping in sync and chanting the chorus, before the band brought the house down with a thunderous performance of “Fire That Burns.”
The inevitable “One more song!” chants didn’t take long to fill the room, and Circa Waves didn’t leave the crowd waiting. “Be Your Drug” exploded into life, red strobes flashing over a sea of jumping bodies, the energy somehow even higher than before. Then came the challenge. “Do you want to beat Birmingham?” Shudall grinned, referencing their last gig. “Do you want to beat fucking Birmingham or what?” The response? A deafening roar that shook Rock City to its core.
There was only ever going to be one way to end the night. As the opening chords of “T-Shirt Weather” rang out, the venue lost itself completely. Phones lit up the crowd, some fans breaking the rules, climbing onto their mates’ shoulders, arms stretched wide, ready to soak in the final chorus. The sheer volume of voices singing along felt louder than the band itself. As the orange house lights rose, Circa Waves stood on stage, taking in the scene—sweaty, euphoric, and totally unforgettable.
Between Corella’s fiery opener, Peace’s triumphant return, and Circa Waves proving once again why they’re one of the UK’s finest live bands, this was a gig that had it all. Whether you came for a Valentine’s date night, a mosh pit mission, or just to scream indie bangers at full volume, Rock City delivered. And for those who weren’t ready to call it a night, Shudall’s DJ set at Rescue Rooms kept the party going long after the encore.
