On Friday 6th of March, one of the biggest rising stars in rock, Keo, played Stylus in Leeds and the atmosphere was electric from the moment the doors opened.
Thousands flocked in high spirits, ready for the show, getting down early to bag a top spot to see Keo.
The supporting slot for this show was a band called Tooth, who delivered high energy indie bangers including ‘The Age of Innocence’ and ‘Medicine’, both released this year, with pristine, powerful vocals.
The support band got the crowd absolutely fired up and it was clear from the reaction in the pit that tonight was going to be a chaotic gig.
As the lights went down once again and spotlights lit up the stage, a roar of chants shouting “Keo, Keo!” welcomed the band to the stage. You could see the passion and vitality in their eyes, ready to deliver a phenomenal performance.
Keo kicked off their Leeds set with the beautifully written rock anthem ‘Hands’. From the second the first riff started, it was played with grace, especially for a song so heavy. As the vocalist sang the verse “So come on my love, at least we survived / With nails to join our hands / I know that it hurts to be here tonight / But babe I need you”, you could hear the sheer emotion pouring out through his delivery of these poetic lyrics.
Keo’s alt-rock grunge style and sound sets them apart from truly any other band in the industry right now. I can’t think of one band that sounds remotely similar, and instrumentally the closest comparison is early Nirvana.
We moved through a few unreleased tracks such as ‘Be Happy’ and ‘Young’, but it’s clear their fanbase is so committed and does its research, as they belted every line back at the band.
A special moment included a cover of ‘The End’ by The Doors during the encore, delivered with the Keo trademark sound, and it sounded incredible.
The band finished their set with arguably one of their fan favourites, ‘I Lied, Amber’, their debut single that set them off on this trajectory of success. There wasn’t anyone not singing along, rounding off a brilliant gig perfectly.
