with Trophies of Man and AK & The Red Kites
The Underworld, Camden
Star Circus first caught my attention around the release of their debut album, Separate Sides, in 2022. I was instantly impressed by its massive choruses and quirky but super catchy songs, and it quickly became a regular on my playlist. Tonight, I’m at the Underworld in Camden, where Star Circus is celebrating their latest release, From The Wreckage. This album is a collection of similarly catchy tunes with a slightly heavier, more rock-oriented vibe. The big sing-along choruses are still very much in evidence, but everything seems a little tighter than the first album, with bigger grooves and a more expansive sound.
There are a couple of support acts tonight, neither of whom I’ve seen play live before. First up is Trophies of Man, a four-piece rock band. I’d done a bit of research on YouTube prior to the gig but was pleasantly surprised; they have a great rock sound, and singer Flash Sawyer (from the band King Lizard) does an excellent job of keeping the energy high with some pretty fine vocals. Dave Winkler from Star Circus also joined them onstage on second guitar duty for a few songs.
Next were AK and The Red Kites, a blues-rock trio with a cool, retro, sometimes swampy sound. Andrew Knightley (the “AK” in the band’s name), handling both guitar and vocal duties, has great stage presence and a voice to match. With Rob Hoey on bass and Ash Sims on drums completing the trio, AK and The Red Kites had a big, grooving sound, at times with a Southern feel, playing tracks from their current EP, Proverbial Storm. The demand for blues rock seems to be at an all-time high, and it appears that AK and The Red Kites certainly know what they’re doing. With well-crafted songs and a performance to match, I expect to see them on quite a few festival sets in the near future.
Star Circus took to the stage and opened with “Love Is The Enemy” from their first album. Instantly, it was clear that their live sound is noticeably bigger than in previous performances I’ve seen. The band’s lead guitar spot has been a little fluid in the past; however, this slot has recently been filled by the impressively talented, hat-wearing, Gibson-Firebird-toting figure of Santiago Periotti, who adds a lot of power and dimension to the Star Circus live sound. Also adding to this acoustic fullness is William Robertson, who produced From The Wreckage and tonight is providing additional guitars, keyboards, and backing vocals—the overall effect of which is a really impressive live sound.
Big guitar parts and giant-sized vocal hooks continued with “Chained to You,” tonight’s introduction to From The Wreckage, with Reuben O’Donoghue’s powerful drumming grooving along nicely.
Looking every inch the rock star is the driving force behind Star Circus, singer-guitarist Dave Winkler, and his “partner in crime,” Sophie Aurélia Young on bass and vocals (though only backing vocals tonight). The whole band are clearly great players, but I find the quality of the vocal arrangements to be the finest part of their performance. With influences encompassing many sounds from the glam rock era of the ’70s and ’80s, their own sound somehow remains modern and polished.
The sing-along 2023 single “Gina in a Bottle” was followed by the latest album’s closing track, “Two Odds Make An Even,” the tender “Turn The Tide” with a great bluesy solo from Santiago, and then album opener “Over & Over” before diving back into more familiar Separate Sides sing-along territory with “Just Like in a Movie.”
At this point, we were joined by the band’s original guitarist, Riccardo Coccia—another great showman and player. For those of you who are counting, that meant at times, we now had four guitarists on stage! Each added to the sound in their own way—it really was quite a pleasant earful!
The earworm-inducing “Before The Song Is Over” and “Save Your Life” brought the show to a triumphant close, with the crowd wanting more. But the gods of time insisted that was that, and before we knew it, the songs were indeed over, and it was time to head home.
If you aren’t already a fan, Star Circus could well be one of the best bands you haven’t yet discovered. The quality of songs they write and the way they perform them will hopefully see their listening figures increase and push them on to bigger and better things going forward. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to the next time I see them perform.
For more information about the bands and their up-and-coming gigs visit:
Star Circus | @StarCircusBand | starcircus.co.uk
AK & The Red Kites | @akandtheredkites | akandtheredkites.com
Trophies of Man | @TrophiesOfMan | trophiesofman.com