Originally from the small town of Glossop in Derbyshire, Larkins quickly established themselves as one of Manchester’s brightest new bands, and have only gone on to add to that blazing torch with more hit singles and epic gigs as the years have gone on.
They’ve sold over 10,000 tickets, and played the legendary Reading and Leeds Festivals, proving the boys know how to hold an audience, with hook-filled anthems that stay for days and daring performances that only grow exponentially brighter.
Simply put, the expectations were high for their huge date at the notorious London’s Heaven.
Historically Larkins have been no strangers to a riotous crowd, but the group collected in the chambers of Heaven were unlike any other crowd we’ve seen. From the second the opening bars ricocheted through the stone ceilings, through every heart-fuelled interjection and audience interaction, they stayed ready to dance and without fail, ready to chorus along with the four piece.
Opening with arguably one of their strongest songs, ‘Are We Having Any Fun Yet,’ was a bold move, but unquestionably the right one. The opening notes are just perfect to lift a crowd quite literally off their feet; to start stirring up that palpable buzz of skillfully crafted anticipation.
The song itself? Perfectly crafted for a live show. Though the recorded track remains stellar, and a shining piece in their discography, we’ve never seen a track come so quickly alive. With the beating lights in play, and each member fully immersed in the inspired track, the tune marked one of the best gig openings of recent years.
Larkins didn’t fail to impress their most loyal fans, playing a stream of tracks that took us back through their most iconic moments and periods of writing. ‘Sugar Sweet’ and ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ mark highlights, seeing the band switch from sentimental to indie party mode in flawless harmony.
They pride themselves on eco-friendly touring, have committed to setting up female safety and gender equality markers at their shows, and have a self-designed merchandise line, Animals in Costume, which is all ethically sourced. We saw countless fans in neon yellow making full use of these ethically clad ideals – it’s definitely not hard to spot a Larkins fan once the lights die down and the group leaves the stage.
As part of their ongoing dedication to build a diverse team of individuals, Larkins have also opened up applications for job roles on their touring crew to fans who are keen to build a career in the live music industry.
Overall, an all-round sound group of artists, keen to make an ethical splash in the music scene with a frighteningly natural flair for performing.
TWELVE INCH 