READING’S resident rock royalty have The Amazons brought a momentous year to a close as their UK tour concluded with a show at the University of Reading.
On Thursday, the band performed at 3Sixty in Whiteknights Campus, for the final date on a headline UK tour through December.
They were joined by Fiona-Lee, who kicked off proceedings with a set full of soulful solo performances.
Her assured and accomplished vocals were paired with a stripped-back, electric guitar which gave a powerful foundation for her emotive, often intimate, songwriting.
Highlights included Lavender and Mother, the latter of which sees her exploring the process of moving to London at the age of 18.
Fiona-Lee was swiftly followed by Swim School, who have performed as support on the UK tour.
While having previously described themselves as a “Pound Shop Wolf Alice,” the band immediately showed they had just as much bite as the real thing with songs such as Over Now and Kill You.
The band brings confident, compelling rock drenched in dream-pop and chamber influences and riddled with punk angst.
The Amazons soon took to the stage with the triumphant air of a band coming home, exuding confidence and comfort in a familiar venue.
They kicked off with fan favourite Bloodrush before performing a new song from their upcoming album, still in the works, Night After Night.
They followed swiftly with Dark Visions and Doubt It, both showing the band at their very best.
Lead vocalist Matt Thomson was joined by Fiona-Lee for a performance of Palace, one of the more sedate but soulful cuts from The Amazons’ debut, self-titled album.
Next up was the chant-along anthem Junk Food Forever, for which the band was joined once again by Fiona-Lee and Swim School.
With the stage awash with musicians, the gig reached a jubilant crescendo as Matt donned a Santa hat for a group cover of Happy Xmas (War Is Over), complete with balloons and group vocals from the crowd.
They then closed the set, and their last show of the year, with smash hit Black Magic and a triple encore.
After the show, lead vocalist Matt said: “When you play home town shows, you want to harness a feeling of celebration, and that stems so much from the feeling of community.
“Seeing a band from where you live in that town, it does hit different- there’s a pressure to provide neighbours, family, and friends with an amazing night.
“But there’s also a feeling that the gloves are off, and we can relax a little bit… throw in a Christmas cover and have some fun.”
The Amazons are still working on their next album and have a busy year planned for 2024, which will be their tenth anniversary as an outfit.
“We’ve just announced a few festivals: Benicassim, Rock for People in the Czech Republic, and our first UK festival announcement, which is Victorious Festival in Portsmouth.
“There won’t be any Reading and Leeds Fest this year, but we are going to revisit our podcast, Zons FM.
“Our full intention is to do everything.”
The first series of The Amazons’ podcast, Zons FM, is available on Spotify via:
Full details of upcoming dates and news from The Amazons is available via their website: theamazons.co.uk
