LIVE REVIEW: The Hunna, Sick Joy, Band Of Silver, The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth, 14/11/2023
Photo Credit: Will Macaulay
Coming up to their tenth year as a band and having yet to visit the sunny seaside town of Bournemouth, The Hunna fans were out in force to welcome the band in style at their Old Fire Station show last week. Having become known for their incredible live shows which have won them fans across the globe, we were really excited to see a headline show from the band.
Opening tonight’s show was Nashville trio Band Of Silver. Kicking off their set with Chasing A Stranger it looked like they were going to have a little challenge getting the crowd on side but they didn’t let this impact their fun. Having recently released their latest EP Mission Critical; this was played in full showing off the positivity through the Ready For The Shake Up lyrics and the funky electro vibes through Real Connection. There was a real sense of warmth oozing from sibling vocalist duo Alex and Avery Silvernagal who were determined to get the crowd on side as they put on as they described it ‘a full audio-visual display’ with a light show, props and the addition of a xylophone for good measure. By the end of their short set, the crowd was clapping, cheering and dancing along as it was impossible not to when Avery was having the best time up on stage. 7/10
Main support for the tour came from Sick Joy who instantly made an entrance with Smiling Shame. The dual vocal elements in Talking To The Drugs, spun from one part superbly clean vocals which had you hooked to grunge-twinged harsh screams all matched by a dramatic light show creating an intriguing atmosphere.
Standout moment came with latest single Hypodermic Sunshine blending the grit and the smooth into a delightful package accompanied by Mykl’s swirling vocals and the exaggerated drumlines. Taking the time to acknowledge The Hunna and the audience who had given them their undivided attention tonight, they might not have been a band of many words between tracks but their music did all the talking for them, leaving a great impression on the Bournemouth crowd. Getting the crowd involved in their set during don’t feel like dying, with a little bit of sway and plenty of head bopping, it really felt like we were watching a headline set from Sick Joy.
Sick Joy are no strangers to the live scene, gripping every bit of attention and confidently owning the stage as they showcased material from their latest EP WE’RE ALL GONNA F***ING DIE. Keep your eyes on Sick Joy as we’ll definitely make sure a headliner show is on our agenda in 2024. 8/10
At a totally sold out Old Fire Station, it was time for The Hunna to remind everyone why they’ve been constantly on the rise. Thanks to an incredible pre-set playlist of classic tracks including Paramore and Avril Lavinge, the crowd were suitably warmed up as Ryan Potter belted out the first lines of We Could Be.
As Fugazi kicked in, the crowd immediately understood what the band were asking for them as they clapped along on demand before chanting along to the sultry chorus. We were taken back to the first time we heard this track live at Hatfield Park when the band supported You Me At Six , we loved it then but the evolution of the track made us and seemingly the crowd like it even more as the punk-rock energy rose.
Giving insight into tracks including “oldie but goldie” Flickin’ Your Hair, which saw Dan Dorney, Junate Angin and touring member Duncan Grant belting out the backing vocals in perfect unison, it all came together beautifully led by the showmanship of Potter. Now with four albums under their belt, this discography spanning setlist had something for everyone. Whether this came with the simplistic beauty of Cover You or Apologies which was carried by the dedicated following in the room. The crowd was soon thrown into the deep and chaotic end “ready to level the fuck up” with I Wanna Know. The energy was electric as Potter bounded across the stage and the rockstar vibes reached a high as we all followed their ‘bounce!’ instructions making the venue feel like it was shaking. We were on a musical rollercoaster as the slightly confusing order of the setlist took things down a notch with Circles, showing off the chaos but also the other, emotive side within the bands back catalogue.
A really special set moment came with Babe, Can I Call? which is understandably one of Potter’s and fans’ favourite Hunna songs of all time. Everything was stripped back, the band united to help create a heartfelt, reflective atmosphere meaning whether you were a long term fan or one made on the night it was impossible to deny the sheer talent of the band in captivating this varied audience.
With this being the band’s first time in Bournemouth, the fans weren’t messing around as when instructed to light up the venue with “actual flames and iphones” for an acoustic take on Lover with Potter centre stage, the crowd presented him with the most actual flames seen all tour as they swayed in unison. Bournemouth definitely wanted to remind The Hunna what they’d missed out by not visiting up until now! Potter truly might have one of the most versatile voices in British rock right now, with ease going from serenading you to making you ready to run around like a wild beast in the middle of the pit. When joined by the rest of the band, it creates an undeniable force who are clearly loving every moment whilst giving their all to the crowd watching on.
Throwing three of the fan favourites in for the final part of the setlist meant chaos was going to erupt and as ‘Hunna Banger’ (as advised by Potter) She’s Casual took hold, there truly was no need for the band to be singing along with guitarist Dorney looking visibly moved by the outstanding response. Keeping the energy high and the moshpits whirling, Bonfire threw us back in with a bump where the chaos both on and offstage hit an all time peak. Even when giving their absolute all and then some, they didn’t once falter, it was an incredibly slick show with a setlist showing off the very best of the band. But would it be a Hunna show without Dare? As the pits widened and the cathartic chanting of “I dare I fucking dare you!” united the audience and Potter, we dare you to say The Hunna don’t know how to put on a class show.
With this being the last night of tour, they took the time to thank those who had made the tour come to life, the unsung tour heroes so to speak, from the sound guys to the merch to Music24 who the band have teamed up with during this tour. One final sincere thank you from Potter; “Thank you for the bottom of our hearts for making our dream come true” and it was time to close the night really appreciating the impact The Hunna have had on the British music. It was impossible to not feel like you’d been part of something special and we just hope the last night of tour was as good for the band as it was for all of us in the crowd! 8/10
Written By: Nicola Craig
