I’ve been a fan of NYC trio Sunflower Bean for a while now – since the release of their third album, ‘Headful of Sugar,’ in 2022, to be precise – but it’s their most recent material that has kept my eyes (and ears) fixed upon them. For one, there was last year’s ‘Shake’ EP, a collection of 5 expertly crafted rock songs that, played alongside their accompanying videos, make for a riveting audio-visual experience. The group of singer/bassist Julia Cumming, singer/guitarist Nick Kivlen and drummer Olive Faber were hardly done there, however, proceeding to release a full-length album, ‘Mortal Primetime,’ just 7 months later. To my pleasure, all of the songs on this record featured on their setlist were the ones I enjoyed the most; these including some bonus tracks from the deluxe edition they put out this autumn.
So, on top of my excitement to see a gig in the Pink Room of YES, a venue my only prior experience with was a show in the Basement this time last year, I was stoked to hear the band’s riotous tunes in full force, i.e. live. My sense of anticipation only mounted, then, with the performance of East-London support act Human Interest. My main take-away from their set, which was solid, was this: if you’re into indie rock, checking this band’s material out would be a worthwhile endeavour. As you can probably gather from that statement, their sound wasn’t my cup of tea – I scarcely listen to indie rock just generally – but having seen them, I can assure you that they are a tight live act. Uniquely, and impressively, their best song was one they had never before performed live. Good stuff, overall.
Sunflower Bean took the stage at quarter-past nine, Cumming’s yell of “MANCHESTER!” heralding the beginning of their concert. They’d only recently been in town, having supported Wolf Alice show here a few weeks ago; Cumming, on the topic of rock and roll later in the set, expressed her delight at getting to play another show in our music-rich city. Anyway, the band went straight into ‘Champagne Taste,’ a fitting opener as it’s the first track on ‘Mortal Primetime,’ and also because it rips: Kivlen’s fuzz-laden riffery coalescing perfectly with Faber’s crashing drums – she’s an absolute machine on the kit, by the way – and Cumming’s consistently immaculate vocals. They followed this with two similarly riling ‘Shake’ cuts, the electric ‘Lucky Number’ and ‘Teach Me To Be Bad,’ Cumming’s singing here occasionally lapsing into an incensed, excited yell.
As portended by these first two songs, Sunflower Bean’s set comprised a neat mixture of ‘Primetime’ tracks, those from the more recent projects I’ve mentioned thus far and some of their earlier material. An inclusion I particularly enjoyed was ‘Who Put You Up To This,’ a swaggering number from their 2022 record on which Cumming’s vocal range is demonstrated to spellbinding effect and Kivlen provides a hair-raising solo in the bridge; live, it was fantastic.
Of the album tracks, my favourite (and one of my favourite songs of 2025 full stop) is ‘Look What You’ve Done To Me’ and, alongside ‘Shake,’ it was a song I especially wanted them to play. This wish was granted relatively early in the set and, though the piano that features prominently throughout was present only in recorded form, the group more than delivered on their respective instruments; in particular, Faber, whose dynamic performance was that bit more powerful live. Again, Cumming’s singing was phenomenal – the vocal melody on this track is just delicious, especially that in the chorus – and the accompaniment of Kivlen’s lower register was the bow to tie off this wonderful rendition.
I’m glad that three of the bonus tracks from October’s deluxe of ‘Primetime’ – ‘Crashing Highs,’ ‘Watch You Walk Away’ and ‘Bills in Heaven’ – also made the list, given the recency of their release, and their quality. The latter, though perhaps my least favourite of the three, was great live: Kivlen made the most of his role as lead singer on the track with an emphatic and energetic performance and Faber diligently provided another high-intensity, cymbal-heavy beat.
The crowd’s ecstatic reception of mellower cuts ‘Easier Said,’ ‘I Was A Fool’ and ‘Twentytwo’ from earlier in their discography, too, underlined their necessitousness in the setlist, and Sunflower Bean did justice to every one.
For me, the highlight of the night was the concert’s conclusion. That doesn’t sound like a positive evaluation, but it absolutely is: the dizzying one-two of second ‘Primetime’ single ‘Nothing Romantic’ succeeded by the ‘Shake’ EP’s titular track as the ‘one more song’ demanded as an encore saw the show finished on what the band might’ve called a ‘Crashing High’. The grandiosity and theatricality of the former, while rousing the audience in what may have been thought to be their final performance, also served to maximise the impact of ‘Shake’ (my favourite song in Sunflower Bean’s repertoire) when Kivlen began to relay its searing opening riff. A spectacular, (actually) final performance followed, both the guitarist and Cumming’s voices mirroring the intensity of the instrumental to which Faber’s thunderous drumming is pivotal.
With that, Sunflower Bean’s extended Manchester visit (or so you could call it) had fulfilled its purpose, in the form of a headline show that I relished from start to finish.
The gig was promoted by Now Wave. For details of their forthcoming shows, visit their website – Now Wave – Home
