BRITFLOP SENSATION: ANDY GOODWIN’S CELEBRATORY TAKEOVER OF SEBRIGHT ARMS

After a defiant support slot with RAT BOY a week ago, Andy Goodwin stormed Sebright Arms for a free evening to celebrate his debut EP, Tales Of A Likely Lad.

There seems to be little stopping this rising self-proclaimed Britflop artist, who’s intent on bringing back three stripes, polo shirts and cups of tea. He’s already made a name for himself with his quintessentially British style, dubbed ‘the Gen Z indie provocateur’ from Rolling Stone. Think Oasis and Jamie T, mixed with Bakar and Lily Allen.

Chances are you’ve heard his debut single, Fred Perry Girl. It went viral on social media, with mixed reception from Instagram’s abundance of keyboard warriors. More than anything, people loved it, as it edges closer to 1,000,000 streams. Thanks to ear-worm vocals and a push from the management of Chosen Music (Bellah Mae, Caity Baser, Clean Bandit), success feels almost inevitable.

On this special evening, Sterling Press were invited to support. Putting on a stellar rock n’roll show, and bouncing around the stage, they’re almost begging for something bigger. It all felt very Kasabian, proper early 00’s indie rock. Massive singles Doorbell and Baby Steps demand your attention. You can tell they gave it everything from the sweat dripping down their foreheads.

Jumping into the headliner, Goodwin charmed the room with the new single Modern Romance. There was a palpable excitement during; both for the unfolding evening and the new music that was rearing to go. The turnout was not stopped by England on the tele. If anything, it packed the room out, after he invited people down to the pub before the show.

When the band encountered technical difficulties, the audience kept the energy going with football chants and cheers, downing lukewarm beer. Despite being the first of several challenges with their gear and microphones, people were so enthusiastic, it didn’t even matter. The atmosphere was electric, putting what could’ve been a tarnished performance at ease.

While it was an evening to celebrate his EP, there was plenty of new music. A tune called Sunshine about the mundane every day, and escapism to the sun, was promising. So was Rockstar, a single which encapsulates everything Goodwin is about: Tea, beer, gaffs and avoiding a 9-5. The rebellious and youthful nature bursting through each lyric felt invigorating. Not everything was rock-fuelled though, slower number Jessica sounded a little Mardy Bum.

Same Old Jeans, claimed as his favourite, showed how much people know the words. Yearning for childhood dreams seems to resonate with everyone. His knack for captivating storytelling in the signature style of the early 00s is best served here. It’s the same tactics employed by the likes of The Kooks in their heyday.

Follow-up Nicest Polo got a similar reception, if not more so. Andy laughs: “Any of my old mates will remember me showing them this demo, and they said it was sh*t” On this evening, people loved it, and the fact he may be onto something becomes even clearer.

Then, with everyone already dancing, it only made sense for Dancing Shoes. This track is so catchy, it could be on an early Circa Waves or Vistas record. Impressively, people were singing the words before it even started. That’s never a bad sign for an upcoming artist. Our favourites FUNEMPLOYED and Fred Perry Girl were a storm live, proving these could work on much larger stages than this one.

It’s been a while since people have had an artist to cling to, follow and resonate with. Never has it been more important, with the state of the world and particularly UK. The last person to drive change and create unification between artist and fans was YUNGBLUD.

Andy Goodwin could become that new person.

Keep your eyes peeled for more live dates, and stream his debut EP on all platforms now.

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