Arkells are a Canadian band that transcend genre, having been described as a compilation of indie, rock and alternative genres, with some electro-pop thrown in there for good measure. Naming themselves after Arkells Street in Hamilton, Canada, where they formed and practised, this band are justifiably in high demand for live music today.

The recording members of the band are Max Kerman and Mike DeAngelis on guitar and vocals, Nick Dika on bass, Tim Oxford on drums, and newest member Anthony Carone on keys, guitar and vocals. In addition to these members, for this tour Arkells were also accompanied by incredible saxophonist Dennis Passley, as a touring member. As a team, this band are a force to be reckoned with.

Dennis Passley and Max Kerman (left to right).

Releasing their first album (Jackson Square) in 2008, the band have since continued to grow and grow, now reaching close to a million monthly listeners on Spotify. In addition to Jackson Square, and the myriad of other albums they have released over the last 14 years, Arkells have released a number of singles this year. One of my personal favourites was a collaborative song with this tour’s support artist – Lights. The Song, (‘Human Being’) came out in July of this year. An existential song of frustration, posed in an upbeat tone, demonstrates a key strength of Arkells: their ability to make negative content into a positive tune. This song was amongst others released this year such as ‘Dance With You’, ‘Past Life’, and ‘Teenage Tears’, all of which (bar ‘Teenage Tears’) were included in the setlist of the Manchester date.

So, as I previously mentioned, on this tour, Arkells were gigging with alt-pop solo artist: Lights. Having only listened to her briefly before the show, I was in absolute awe seeing her live. Although pop music is not normally my scene, she took to the stage with an immense presence, captivating the audience instantly.

Her set was around 45 minutes long, following which the crowd were left hungry for more. However, they got what they wanted! About half-way through Arkells’ set, they brought Lights back on stage and together they performed ‘Human Being’. The crowd were ecstatic, and it was heart-warming to see these bands and artists performing together and supporting one another.

As was to be expected, the lights display for Lights was incredible, enhancing the electro-pop vibe no end. What was even more impressive though, was her performance as a whole, especially in the knowledge that she writes/creates all her own songs and does all her own album artwork. She even creates graphic novels, the style of which were reflected in her beautiful merchandise!

Lights.

Opening with ‘Prodigal Daughter’, the audience started to boogie almost instantly, and did not falter for the entire electro-infused set. The crowd favourites were very mixed, displaying the variety of older and newer fans. Some went wild for ‘February Air’ (2009), whilst others appeared to favour her newer songs, like ‘Salt and Vinegar’ and ‘Grip’, off her new album ‘PUP’ (2022).

Finishing on a high with ‘Grip’, Lights was serenaded with fits of appreciative applause from the audience, and anticipation for Arkells. She was the perfect opener to an impeccable night.

Following Lights, Arkells opened with ‘Past Life’, a song from their new album, ‘Blink Twice’, a successor to their previous album ‘Blink Once’. This album was released mere hours after the gig, and so no one in the crowd really knew it. However, that didn’t stop us from getting our dancing shoes on all the same. After this, Arkells got stuck into playing a wide variety of their discography, beginning with ‘Leather Jacket’. No matter which Arkells era you favour, this show had something for everyone.

It was very clear that, ‘Morning Report’ is a very popular album for Arkells, with songs ‘And Then Some’ and ‘Savannah’ getting the crowd going absolutely wild, in addition to ‘Years In The Making’, which came towards the end of their set.

Also, towards the end of the set, Arkells played ‘Oh, The Boss Is Coming!’, an addition to the setlist due to crowd demand, which they played in replacement of ‘Reckoning’. Now although I love ‘Reckoning’, I believe that this was the right decision for both the audience, and the band, in addition to the atmosphere more generally.

At the end of their encore, Arkells covered ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’ by ABBA, which the crowd absolutely loved. Two out of three of the times I’ve seen Arkells now they’ve covered an ABBA song (last time it was ‘Dancing Queen’); and the theatrical element that this adds to the shows really works.

Overall, it was a fun-filled night of dancing, singing, and all-round positive vibes. So head on down to the remaining shows on this tour to see this talented band live; doing what they do best, not only recording, but performing.

‘No matter which Arkells era you favour, this show had something for everyone.’

Highlights: Human Being, Years In The Making, And Then Some

Arkells’ Blink Twice is available from 23rd September 2022 via Virgin Records and can be purchased here, or stremaed on all major streaming services.

For more on Arkells visit their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Bandcamp.