FROM THE ROLLER RINK TO ROBIN PARK | THE LATHUMS HOMECOMING
LIVE REVIEW | THE LATHUMS @ ROBIN PARK, WIGAN 19/07/24 by Keira Knox
From the roller rink to the main stage at Wigan’s Robin Park arena, hometown heroes The Lathums performed for a boisterous 12,000 fans on Friday night, their largest headline show to date. The band certainly didn’t disappoint, a 22 track set that sent the crowd into a frenzy, each individual belting out the lyrics.
Being a native of this small town, I find it amazing how this band has brought the Wigan music scene back to life. As part of their ongoing efforts to encourage regional musicians, this amazing musical night will be opened by 17-year-old Alex Spencer. A young musician with an immense amount of skill, who is poised to make waves in the music industry, had the audience in the palm of his hand for the duration of his set. Brooke Combe was next on the bill, her soulful vocals flowing through the crowd, everyone grooving along with the heavy bass lines and powerful guitar riffs. The crowd was suitably warmed up for The Lathums by indie folk legend Jake Bugg. You can hear Bugg’s influence on The Lathum’s music, especially in the way he blends a working-class swagger with a witty, worn romanticism. The audience was more than eager for their hometown heroes to take the stage after hearing indie hits like ‘Two Fingers’ and ‘Lightning Bolt.’
As soon as those harmonies from The Housemartins iconic track ‘Caravan Of Love’ hit our ear waves, the crowd burst into action, excitement infiltrating the arena. Four young men from a town renowned for its Northern soul undoubtedly returned devoted music lovers to their rightful place. As the band took the stage in front of 12,000 fans, they appeared shocked and overtaken with emotion at how far they have come. It was a significant milestone for the band, and I’m sure that everyone in attendance will remember it forever.
They had a bit of a stop-start beginning to their show; through no fault of their own, only three tunes were played in the first thirty minutes due to both technical difficulties and problems within the audience. Despite this, The Lathums put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. ‘Villainous Victorian,‘ which brought the audience back to 2019, was the ideal song to start the act with, demonstrating just how far the group has gone in a short period of time. The audience chanted ‘Say My Name’ in time with the song’s signature drum rhythms, arms flailing in the air as they sang along. The genuine sense of camaraderie that permeates the audience at Lathum’s concerts is what I find so endearing—singing along to these songs alongside total strangers while still feeling completely at ease. Lead singer Alex Moore led the 12,000-strong audience in a chorus during an acoustic rendition of ‘All My Life,’ which was a very moving moment within the set. ‘Wickerman’ unfortunately had to be abandoned due to the band exiting the stage.
The Lathums set the crowd alight with their rendition of ‘Facets’. Not enough credit is given to Alex Moore and both his live and studio performances. His vocal range is nothing short of extraordinary, a rare gem in this world of autotune and distorted vocals. Fan favourite ‘The Great Escape’ was a pivitol moment in the set, despite its many renditions over the years its remained firm within the setlist. Flares were set off, an array of colours filling the skyline as the band rocked out on stage. I witnessed one girl waving her crutches in the air as if the music had somehow healed her.
I want to pause and consider the immense talent that is Scott Concepcion. I’m always in awe of how he infuses these blazing guitar solos with such a fierce feeling of passion. I have never come across a performer who is so underappreciated, and I have no doubt that in fifty years, he will rank amongst some of the best guitarists of all time.
A track that merits much more attention is ‘I Know That Much’; the audience’s unwavering excitement for every word was astounding, and they truly gave this track the honour it has always deserved. ‘Thoughts Of A Child’ and ‘Struggle’ were two tracks that created a really special moment that night. Alex Moore expressed his gratitude to the audience and dedicating ‘Struggle’ to his father who sadly passed away at a young age and was never able to witness the band perform live. A real sense of unity was felt, as the crowd belted out this emotional track in support of the lead singer. A track that resonates with many people going through a tough time, the crowd absolutely roaring the lyrics.
‘I’ll Get By’ is always a lovely moment at a Lathum’s gig! This upbeat, acoustic track had the crowd bouncing along, it’s such a feelgood tune and perfect for a summer’s evening just like the one we were lucky to have on Friday. It’s crazy to think that the music video for ‘How Beautiful Life can be’ was filmed only a couple miles down the road at the indoor market and now it’s being performed in front of thousands at Robin Park. It was truly a full circle moment, the track getting the homecoming it deserved.
For this next track, Alex Moore left us speechless welcoming his hero Jake Bugg onto the stage, accompanying him in singing his iconic track ‘Simple As This’. Bugg and Moore’s acoustic performance was a really moving moment that left the audience in awe. Here were the future of indie music and an indie icon performing a song that many people hold close to their hearts. Alex’s little happy dance after Jake Bugg departed the stage, in my opinion, captured the significance of the occasion for the band by bringing one of their idols to the stage to perform with them.
Ryan Durrans stepped away from his drumkit and joined Matty Murphy, Alex Moore and Scott Concepcion on stage as all four took to their acoustic guitars for a beautiful rendition of ‘I’ll Never Forget The Time I Spent With You’. The crowd were surprisingly quiet during this track, watching the four piece in awe as they serenaded us. The crowd once again burst into life as the band went on to perform their brand new single ‘No Direction’, seeming as its only been out for a few days the crowd knew near enough every word.
‘Circles of Faith’, ‘Knotted Bed of Roses’, ‘Foolish Parley’ and ‘Artificial Screens’ concluded the set. The Lathums truly had all 12,000 people in the palms of their hands. The atmosphere at this gig is so hard to put into words, people of all ages from all walks of life turned out in their thousands to support 4 local lads who have made a name for both themselves and this town.
For the encore, the band’s anxious energy vanished in an instant, and they returned to the stage exuding fresh confidence. This spectacular homecoming show ended with crowd favourites. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many flares at a concert as I did during their upbeat rendition of their iconic single ‘Fight On.’ The audience’s newly discovered enthusiasm elevated the live performance to a whole new level. ‘Sad face Baby’ demonstrated the incredible talent of all the band members, and it was preceded by introductions by Alex Moore, who gave each member a moment to shine. They deserve nothing less than the best because they have put in countless hours to get where they are.
I hope The Lathums know that the whole of Wigan is incredibly proud of them, they’ve made this place one of the most exciting music scenes around. They truly are hometown hero’s.
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