Armed with just her keyboard, the show was opened by Rusalka. Beautifully haunting, her lyrics pierced through Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms as it filled with crowds just warming themselves on a brisk Monday evening. With tunes including Martyr In a Moshpit and Awkward Orchid from her album Will You Still Love Me When I’m Strange? , witnessing her debut touring appearance proves Rusalka is definitely one to watch.
Next was Liverpool-born Zuzu, who graced the stage clad from head to toe in shining silver. Bursting with contagious energy, the frontwoman and her band charged up the room with their Britpop-inspired indie tunes like What You Want and All Good. After inviting the crowd to hang with her after the show, Zuzu left the room truly warmed up and eager for the headline act to begin.
Then came time for the main event - Yonaka were due onstage. The four-piece from Brighton held nothing back opening the show with their big tune Punch Bag, igniting the crowd from their brief slumber. By singles like Lose Our Heads and latest album title-track Don’t Wait Til Tomorrow, the mosh was in full flow, fuelling Yonaka’s frontwoman Theresa Jarvis and guitarist George Edwards. The pair showed no sign of slowing, generating an electric atmosphere that was somehow contained within the room.
Slowing down the tempo to give those brave enough to venture the mosh a chance to recover, the band went on to play an acoustic rendition of Guilty before bursting into the room-shaking Rockstar. The set closed with F.W.T.B, Yonaka’s hard-hitting anthem promoting independence and autonomy, giving Edwards a chance to jump into the still-thumping mosh.
It’s in small venues like Rescue Rooms where rock outfits like Yonaka thrive. Close-quarters and intimate moments create an atmosphere so divergent from stadium or arena shows. Still growing, Yonaka have the potential to be huge but it's small moments like these long-time fans should cling onto forever.