If there’s one thing that is certain about the K’s, it’s that their fans make one of the best crowds out there. On May 9th, the band took to the O2 Academy Birmingham on the 7th date of the Pretty on the Internet tour. Joined by Pastel and Day We Ran, the K’s put on a memorable show evidently enjoyed profusely by the crowd of boisterous fans.
The night kicked off with Australian band Day We Ran, greeted with eager cheers from fans as they entered the stage to set up. Announcing that this tour was their first ever time in the UK, they flew through their set with constant cheers and fans’ hands high in the air throughout songs. One particular group of about five or six people in the far corner of the crowd were the most consistent of the bunch – their arms flying high in support throughout a run of songs. If an opening band’s job is to warm up the crowd, Day We Ran did the trick; the band exited the stage to prolonged cheers and clapping, and fans repeatedly shouted chants in anticipation of the continuation of the show.
Not long after, Pastel took to the stage to a buzzed crowd ready for the show. The lead singer took moments in-between songs to drink from the bottle of alcohol he’d brought with him, talking to and interacting with the crowd at most opportunities. Pastel most definitely have a stage-appropriate attitude, and it’s obvious that they were made for this exact thing.
By this point, fans were most definitely prepared and ready for the K’s to take to the stage, chanting so chaotically that it was difficult to make out what they were actually saying. Cups were being thrown around and cheered at out of what I can assume was excitement and anticipation about what was ahead.
After a short wait, the K’s kicked off their show – and it was astounding how the crowd lit up so quickly. It was obvious that fans were going to be loud and enthusiastic, but the level at which they escalated was incredible to watch – it’s difficult to get a crowd to interact and get involved as much as this one did, especially so fast. The band flew through the first two songs without any need to warm up fans, playing to another indecipherable chant after ‘Icarus’. After ‘Chancer’ came to a close, the band chatted to the crowd as they introduced the fourth song of the night, ‘Heart On My Sleeve’. It was, again, astounding to see the level of interaction from this crowd. Absolutely everyone sat on the shoulders of another, with every single hand in the air for the entire duration of the song. This energy only advanced as the show continued, members of the band crouching down on the edge of the stage to interact with fans. One fan was determined to get noticed, holding up a handmade sign detailing a request to “sing on stage” with them for the entire duration of the show, unfortunately not lucky enough to have it fulfilled.
Continuing on, the K’s asked the crowd to “please rise for the national anthem”, throwing themselves further into the set. The crowd, at an astonishing volume, loved singing their way through ‘Throw It All Away’, followed by ‘No Place Like Home’, and ‘Picture’.
Despite the song being called ‘Lights Go Down’, the crowd responded to the first few chords by returning to their place on shoulders, with their phone torches lit and held up high. The energy provided by these fans did not falter once throughout the K’s performance, and it was brilliant to watch throughout the night as the show neared its end. The band flew through the last song of the set, ‘Sarajevo’, and as it drew a close, fans weren’t stopping yet. A chant began immediately, and the band took no time at all to launch into one final surprise song not listed on the setlist, giving the fans what they wanted by playing ‘Dacton & Wanderella’.
Overall, thousands of fans walked out of this show feeling buzzed and ecstatic after giving their absolute all for the past few hours. It is extremely difficult to get a crowd so enthusiastic and excited, and it was thrilling to watch and experience.
