The day couldn't have been more perfectly suited for a Haim gig in Leeds.
The trio of Californian sisters' unique blend of sun-drenched pop that draws on influences ranging from The Beach Boys and Fleetwood Mac to Lou Reed and Dr Dre was the perfect soundtrack to a sweltering day in the city.
Their show was long anticipated after being delayed due to covid, which well and truly scuppered their plans in support their brilliant third album Women In Music Pt. III back in 2020.
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But any concern that they might have lost their spark or that the moment may have passed were quashed during an invigorating show in Millennium Square in Leeds as part of their One More Haim tour which, after a string of festival shows, was kicked off tonight.
Contrary to backing out of the spotlight, the trio of Danielle, Este and Alana's star power has only grown since they put in a show-stealing performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's film Licorice Pizza and their seismic shift from indie-pop darlings to superstars was evident.
A few sound and technical issues aside, the show was a masterclass in crowd pleasing antics. From opener of Now I'm In It where they staggered onstage one after the other and finished the song trading off drum solos to the final flurry of anthems that closed the set they had the crowd in the palm of their collective hands.
Coupled with their impressive, family-honed musicianship; a choreographed dance routine on second track I Know Alone, an amusing skit from Este before the funk-laden 3am and some hilarious in-between-song chat of their breakfast-eating dynamic and previous Leeds Festival appearances showed that this is a unique group of all-rounders.
A stripped-back acoustic section where the sisters performed Leaning On You and Hallelujah had some distracted but after that there was no turning away. Danielle pulled out a guitar line worthy of Prince during FUBT before the sax-filled Los Angeles brought back some of the earlier heat as the sun began to go down in the city.
After Don't Wanna, Forever and Summer Girl ended the main set, the sisters returned to perform the fantastic two punch closer of The Wire and The Steps. At this point the stage's simple backdrop of what appears to be scaffolding unveiled banners to celebrate Women In Music, which was greeted by a rapturous response from the vastly varied audience all united in their joy of the moment.
Setlist
- Now I'm In It
- I Know Alone
- Up From A Dream
- My Song 5
- Want You Back
- 3AM
- I've Been Down
- Gasoline
- Leaning On You
- Hallelujah
- FUBT
- Los Angeles
- Don't Wanna
- Forever
- Summer Girl
Encore
- The Wire
- The Steps
To find out the latest big gig and event news in our city you can visit our Best in Leeds homepage. There you will also find a guide to great things to do in Leeds.
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