As much as I love a wild crowd, there is something special about intimate gigs that come with a chilled vibe that makes for an enjoyable night.
On Thursday, JP Cooper took to the stage at Foundry in Sheffield to create the style of gig I love the most; a relaxed atmosphere where the focus is almost entirely on the music, allowing the audience to appreciate the performance.
The British-born singer lets his music speak for itself and the gig's minimalistic setting worked well to compliment his amazing vocals.
My favourite song in the setlist was his duet with Holly Patrie, Need you Tonight. The lyrics in the chorus seemed to flow beautifully from one word to the next in a poetic fashion, enough to capture the attention of any audience.
JP Cooper said it himself that after a few performances as part of his UK tour, he could 'really feel the harmonies coming together'.
As a keen guitarist myself, I always pay close attention to the band behind the singer as sometimes it is easy for people to forget the hard work and efforts of those supporting the lead singer to make the show happen. Jack Shepherd’s guitar skills did not disappoint, alongside Nicky Brown on piano.
I love it when the backing band is appreciated, and JP Cooper made a conscious effort throughout the show to thank the band for their work.
Towards the end of the show we heard some familiar favourites, including Perfect Stranger, which fans may recognise from his chart-topping collaboration with Jonas Blue. This song picked up the mood amongst the audience. Cooper unsurprisingly also included his debut solo-song September Song in his setlist for the night.
While it was nice to hear some of his most well-known songs, my favourites of the night were among the less recognisable tracks in the current UK charts. These included On my Mind and Call My Name.
All in all, I had a really good time watching JP Cooper and his band perform. It was a nice break away from exam revision, but it was also great to see yet another brilliant musician wow the crowd at the iconic Foundry venue in Sheffield Student’s Union.
I came away with that well-known buzz we feel when leaving a good concert and I am happy to have a few new songs to add to my playlists.
Edited by Hannah Youds