After recently winning an ACM for new Vocal Group, LANCO returned to the UK for their first headline UK tour. The band had made their debut trip to the UK back in 2018 as part of C2C 2018 and were one of the stars of the smaller stages (it is still a mystery why they were not picked for the Spotlight stage) and so, their was a lot of anticipation surrounding the opportunity to witness the band as headliners.
The band lived up to they hype and more, performing a 90-minute anthemic set that took the crowd through the entirety of their #1 album Hallelujah Nights. Arriving on stage with the title track set the scene for the rest of the night, with the crowd singing every word back from the get-go, followed by the similarly anthemic track ‘Long Live Tonight.’ Hallelujah Nights had been one of my favourite albums of the previous year, despite its tendency not to divert in tempo, yet witnessing the album in live performance gave me a new-found appreciation of the album and the band that wrought it. Their album is one of those that is made to translate live, rather than a disjointed play from studio to stage, and Brandon Lancaster is a tour de force of energy and charisma. The LANCO frontman made you dizzy witnessing the energy that he brought to the stage – not to be outdone by the hair choreography of guitarist, Eric Steedly. It was clear that the band in every performance left it all on the table, giving their absolute all to the fans that had brought them to where they are today.
‘We Do’ followed these two openers and showcased the talent of the band in its entirety, with its rockier side amped up by heavy guitars and bass. Following this up with ‘Win You Over,’ highlighted the breadth of Lancaster’s vocal range with trippy vocals followed by slower moments, all accompanied by heavy guitar and drum instrumentals. The anthemic element of the set was brought back with the next track ‘So Long (I Do),’ followed hot on its heels by their new single ‘Rival.’ The popularity of the band with their UK audience is clear, the crowd singing back every word to the entirety of their debut album and ‘Rival’ elicited a similarly huge response. The song is made for a live performance, chanting back in defiance of being the underdog and is definitely one of their most relatable racks yet. If this is a marker of what’s to come from their sophomore album then we’re in for a treat.
As if the crowd needed amping up more, LANCO launched quickly into their covers section of the set, beginning with a stunningly good performance of ‘Mr Brightside‘ that brought the crowd into a fever pitch. At this point, Brandon Lancaster led the band into the crowd to perform ‘Honky Tonk’ style. Beginning with a version of ‘Sold (The Grundy Country Auction Incident),’ followed by Eric Church’s ‘Springsteen‘ and ‘Drink In My Hand‘ along with Tom Petty’s ‘Free Fallin‘.’ Performing in this guise enabled the band to further bond with the crowd, and the crowd with each other, the interlude provided a moment of tempo change in the set and was incredibly refreshing.
Returning to the stage, Brandon Lancaster stated, ‘I’d like nothing more than to get on a 20-decker tour bus and go way out with you guys’ and the audience would clearly have liked nothing better than to do just that as they launched into the stunning ‘Middle of the Night’ and the rowdy ‘Trouble Maker.’ These two were made for live performance and their translation onto the stage was astonishingly good.
The band rounded up the set with their two biggest tracks ‘Born To Love You’ and the encore ‘Greatest Love Story.’ The tracks are both everything that country music lovers adore – storytelling songwriting, relatable and honest – and are bound to stand the test of time. This is where Brandon Lancaster’s songwriting and vocal ability shine through.
LANCO’s live performance lived up to expectations. They have been lauded as high-energy band, yet it is only by seeing them live that you can really appreciate this infectious energy and the charisma of Brandon Lancaster. Lancaster as a frontman is superb, yet the band in their entirety exhibit stunning musicianship, tying the whole operation together. The rest of their UK tour is bound to be a treat.
My only criticism? Where was the crowd surf LANCO are renowned for?
Set List
- Hallelujah Nights
- Long Live Tonight
- We Do
- Win You Over
- I Do
- Pick You Up
- Singing At Stars
- Rival
- Mr Brightside (Killers Cover)
- Sold (John Michael Montgomery Cover)
- Drink In My Hand (Eric Church Cover)
- Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty Cover)
- Springsteen (Eric Church Cover)
- Middle Of The Night
- Troublemaker
- Born To Love You
- Greatest Love Story
