More about: The Lathums

Just weeks after releasing their number one debut album How Beautiful Life Can Be, rising Wiganers The Lathums played their biggest headline show to date at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse. With the sold-out crowd of 3,500 in the palm of their hands, they again prove themselves to be one of the finest current bands in British guitar music. 

After wonderful support slots from fellow Wigan band Stanleys and the blissful Scottish singer-songwriter Rianne Downey, The Lathums take to the stage suited and booted, dressed for the special occasion that is their biggest ever headline gig. After a graceful welcome from the ecstatic crowd, the band open with one of their biggest sing-along hits ‘Fight On’. From that moment, the crowd are theirs to control for the rest of the evening. The opening guitar riff is vocalised by thousands: pints fly and carnage erupts. 

As the set continues with tracks from the number one album, such as the catchy ‘I Won’t Lie’ and the soulful love songs ‘I’ll Get By’ and ‘Oh My Love’, the band prove how solidified they are as a four-piece. It's clear from the start that the strength of all four members as musicians is on an astronomical scale. Each song sounds faithful to the original recordings, yet are adapted with a unique and spellbinding stamina fit for a rowdy audience. 

After a huge sing-along to hit ‘The Great Escape’, the three backing members of the band walk off stage and leave frontman Alex Moore alone with his acoustic guitar to serenade the audience. The intimacy captures the crowd as they sing along to a trio of beautiful acoustic versions of heartfelt tracks such as the album’s title track and fan-favourite EP number ‘All My Life’. A sea of phone torches light the room as the crowd revel in the intimacy and beauty of Alex’s moving solo performance. 

As the rest of the band returned to the stage, standout album opening track ‘Circles of Faith’ return the crowd to their exuberant attitude, and as the band walk off the stage after playing the bouncy ska-inspired track ‘I See Your Ghost’, the crowd’s appetite isn't quite sated. After proving they're hungry for more through thunderous screams, The Lathums return to gift the audience with one last dance. 

The encore begins with the highlight of the night: the eloquent and powerful Beatles-esque ballad ‘The Redemption of Sonic Beauty’. As Alex cries out the heartfelt lyrics to a stunned crowd, the audience are suddenly showered with unexpected golden confetti. Not content even with this, one final track is needed to finish off the tireless audience, and the upbeat classic rock inspired ‘Artificial Screens’ gets the job done. As it ends, the band leave the stage with a graceful bow. 

The Lathums have risen to such an enormous level in the short space of two years, and their Victoria Warehouse show truly proves why. Not only are they extremely solidified as a band—with each member being exceptionally talented in their own right—but the four-piece have a knack for capturing the hearts of people of all ages. The mystical force that entices people into The Lathums’ world of love and delight is profound, but they've got full control of that force...and that’s how they’ve dominated the guitar scene and become one of our best guitar bands. The night’s brilliant celebration of their journey so far is only the beginning.

More about: The Lathums