Shields at The Shacklewell Arms

Last night, tucked away in the Shacklewell Arms (a dive in the heart of hipster haunt Dalston), Shields took what look liked the smallest stage in history and blew the crowd away with an incredible performance.

The five-piece indie-rock-pop band from Newcastle are tipped as the ones to watch for 2013, and it’s clear to see why. The band’s sound is remarkably refreshing, with strong synths favoured in their performance of latest single Mezzanine, which delivers a catchy hook into a belter of a chorus with euphoric harmonies, setting the crowd in motion. The performance of Turning Corners was also mesmerising, with its piano-pop riff beautifully chiming throughout the song, broken by raucous drum and conga breakdowns that got the feet pumping throughout the venue.

It’s clear the Geordie lads know how to have a good time on stage, breaking from their set for have a swig out of a whiskey bottle, and good-heartedly passing it around the appreciative crowd for a communal slug or two. Shields continued with their set and did a rendition of SBTRK’s track Pharaohs – an already successful song, but the band twisted it just enough to make it their own, and it sounded first-class. The moment of the crescendo was mesmerising, and reached that peak great bands achieve in a live performance where all focus is solely on them. The set ended on a high, with unreleased track A Good Start. Shields’ talent shines through, with their spiky, jangly guitars, reminiscent of Two Doors, that give them the edge and ability to create an enthralling show. The song played out with all members thrashing their instruments, passion-a-plenty to end the set with a bang, leaving the crowd jumping for more.

Shields are most deservedly big news for 2013, stepping up to the mark with some of the most prominent indie-pop bands around today, and proving their mettle with this stand-out performance. Do not miss this band!

Verdict: •••••

Simon Franklin

For further information about Shields and future events visit  here.

Download EP Kaleidoscope for free here.

Watch the music video of their latest single Mezzanine here: