PROMISING ESSEX BAND ‘SAN QUENTIN’ IMPRESS NORTHERN CROWDS
Last Saturday night (8th June 2024) saw some Essex boys a long way from home, up north in the city of Newcastle; San Quentin absolutely wowed punters of ThinkTank on the last night of their first ever headline tour of the UK with their distinctive rock sound and energetic performance. These guys are the kind of band you want to gate-keep so that you can keep them in more intimate venues, but who you also know are going to be playing arenas in no time as you repeat the phrase “I knew them before they were big” to anyone who’ll listen.
Powering through a night of technical difficulties, these lads really did show Newcastle a great time with support from Frankie Dobson and Urban Times. They showcased old favourites such as ‘Step Off’ and ‘Crossed The Line’ as well as new songs from their latest EP ‘Feed the Ego’ including ‘Serotonin’, ‘You’re Lost’, and ‘You Can’t Stop me This Time (Underdog)’ – a song they don’t normally perform live, but absolutely smashed. Fans lost their minds for their innovative covers of ‘Come Together’ (The Beatles) and ‘Changed the Way you Kissed Me’ (Example), a song I hadn’t personally thought of for at least a decade but was pleased for the chance to boogie to a great blast from the past.
Frontman Owen’s stage presence is the perfect match for the edgy riffs and gritty; he is playful, cheeky, and is an utter pleasure to watch perform. Fans were also treated to a prolonged monologue from the singer as faulty cables caused issues between songs and he was forced to fill time for what probably felt like an excruciatingly long time for him. Whenever these guys play together, charisma oozes from every single one of them, and you can see in their eyes just how much fun they have as mosh pits break out at every show – no exceptions.
They also played their as yet unreleased song ’Jay’ which is the second track in a larger body of work delving deeper into mental health and the inner demons we can all struggle with. ‘Jay’ is the voice that makes the song’s protagonist, Charlie, feel isolated and worthless. We were introduced to Charlie in the first song of this series ‘10:33’ in a move towards a harder sound for San Quentin which feels apt for such a tough and important topic to introduce into music. ‘Jay’ is harder still, almost verging on punk, with guitarist and song-writer Liam screaming his way through the insanely catchy chorus. Together, they hope to destigmatise discussing mental health through the medium of music, and especially for men who have historically tended to struggle more having such conversations.
One of my favourite things about San Quentin is just how much they care about their supporters. They’re always at the merch stand after a show to meet-and-greet the masses, they’re beyond lovely, and they remember the faces of people who’ve been at gigs before. It’s so easy to feel involved and be part of a community of gig-goers when bands act like role-models the way these guys do.
Luckily the boys have just announced another headline show in their hometown of Southend at Chinnery’s. This promises to be an excellent night, so be sure to check out their socials for details. And stream their latest single ‘10:33’ on all major platforms now and join Owen, Liam, Dan, Nick, and Luke on the amazing journey they’re on.
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