Crystal Tides @ Chinnerys
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
Crystal Tides kicked off their UK tour in Southend on Thursday 19th March, joined with indie-rock band Luna Bay and local talent Lois Leon.
It’s been non stop for Crystal Tides. From writing songs between university lectures back in 2018, to releasing their debut album earlier this year, it’s been a cycle of songwriting, recording, and gigging across the UK for the Portsmouth-based band for almost a decade.
And really, it is only the beginning.
In February this year, Crystal Tides released their debut album Toothpaste, a 10 track album filled with snappy hooks. To celebrate their debut, the band are playing their biggest headlining tour to date, playing in nine cities across the UK.
Kicking off the Toothpaste tour in the seaside city of Southend, the band played in live music venue Chinnerys, situated amongst the parade of arcades that dominate the seafront.
Joining them across the entirety of the tour are indie-rock trio Luna Bay, with local act Lois Leon opening the show, and Southend-based promoters Indie Cult Club’s very own DJ playing indie bangers between sets.
Fusing an alternative 90s soundscape through a contemporary lens, Canvey Island based band Lois Leon (pictured above) reeled the audience in and never let go. Their sound can only be described as eclectic, with hints of Bends-era Radiohead, Elastica, and Wolf Alice blended together to create an atmospheric sound of their own.
And what was even more impressive were their merchandise. The t-shirts were designed and screen-printed by the band themselves, as well as producing CDs of their EP with hand-made covers (how cool is that?)
Next up were Luna Bay (pictured above), marking the first time they had ever played in Southend. Right from the get go, the trio were brimming with energy and crashed into their set without coming up for air, each song tumbling into the next.
What was most notable about their performance was how much they seemed to be loving every second of it, particularly guitarist Rye Milligan who bounced his way through the entirety of their set, thoroughly enjoying himself.
With the indie-rock trio joining Crystal Tides for all nine tour dates, let’s hope they didn’t use up too much energy from their first show.
With a noticeably amped-up crowd, it was time for the headlining act to perform. Without hesitation, Crystal Tides launched into their first song Better Weather. The band’s performance was packed with classic indie-rock guitar riffs and infectious energy that seeped into the audience– drawing the crowd even closer to the stage.
The first night of the tour was an undeniable success, stamping their mark on the heart of Southend.
'Touring can be quite tiring' says singer of Luna Bay, Connor O’Mara, 'and 90% of what we do a lot of people don’t see and that’s the hard bit.'
When chatting to the opening bands, Luna Bay highlighted how “lonely” touring can be for musicians, with the guitarist mentioning how you can feel 'isolated' at times.
'As soon as you are back doing a show, you start mingling with everyone and get lifted back up again.'
As well as this, the singer explained how significant it is to 'talk it out.'
'Having bandmates, who are basically your mates as well, will be going through the same situation as well. So it’s always good to just talk it out and pick each other up, it’s all about having each other's backs.'
'It’s important to not be too hard on yourself,' explained lead singer and guitarist Lois Leon, 'if performing feels really, really scary, you don’t have to do it, you know?'
Catch Indie Cult Club’s next gig at Chinnerys on Friday 5th June with EMF, whose singer James Atkin is big supportter of Tonic Music, and has reguarly appeared at our Live Lounge's at the Shiiine On Festivals.
Don't forget to check out all our Courses, Groups and Workshops currently open for registration for working musicians and those working within the music.
