Anteros have been rightly earning plaudits up and down the country for two years now. It’s strange then, that their gig at Komedia Studio is the first date of their first ever headline tour. It was a stroke of genius to wait this long, though, as they now have a huge, devoted audience that can pack out venues like Komedia Studio, evidently shown by their genuine indie hero’s welcome by the buzzing Brighton, quasi-fresher’s crowd.

Former MTV Brand New Unsigned Winners, Of Empires were up first. After releasing their second EP See You with the Angels, Kid, they’re back touring and, what is immediately clear, is how supremely confident frontman Jack Fletcher is. He’s a perfect match for the band’s brash, reverb-drenched bluesy rock‘n’roll and looks every bit the conductor as he stalks the tiny Komedia stage. The jury’s out whether they’ll make the next step up as they’ve gone quiet since their plaudits a few years ago, but they’re an exciting live band with a sound that doesn’t go out of style.

Hotly-tipped pop-punk band, Safe to Swim, were up next. Their sound is certainly from a bygone-era, when the likes of Sum 41 and Blink 182 were riding high in the charts, but there’s something about Safe to Swim that makes their pop-punk modern and specifically for this generation. I wouldn’t exactly say it was for me, but their songs are catchy and already had a big enough audience to sing the lyrics back to them. Single ‘Pretty in the Morning’ garnering the biggest reaction from the supportive crowd.

By the time Anteros were set to play, the 140 capacity venue had filled to the brim. So much so, that the band struggled to make it to the stage. A wave of noise erupting each time the band walked through a different section of the crowd. Ripping straight into newest single ‘Cherry Drop’, the crowd almost erupted. Instantly, lead singer Laura Hayden’s obscenely talented ability to connect with fans is clear. Throughout she’s making direct eye contact with various members of the front row, singing into their faces and high-fiving them. She has this immense talent of making it feel like she’s performing just for you.

Hayden is a refreshing frontwoman. She balanced a mix of being an icy cool, Debbie Harry-esque rockstar as well as being endearingly coy and surprised about the huge reaction she is getting from the crowd. Late on in the gig, during hit single ‘Drunk’, she inspires a girls-only stage invasion and it’s apparent that it is this sort of behaviour that has made Anteros so engaging and identifiable with teenage girls. The first few rows were glittered with teenage girls getting as much love from Hayden as they were showing. There’s a real ‘girls to the front’ notion to the band and it all comes directly through Hayden.

They describe themselves as “bitter dream-pop”, but at times on display is something wildly different. During ‘The Beat’ and ‘Ring Ring’ Anteros develop into a fully-fledged rock juggernaut. Whether that’s through Joshua Rumble’s thundering basslines, Hayden’s effortless charisma or their eminent dress sense, they have more in common with swaggering rock bands than pop idols.

Halfway through their set, Hayden muttered, “the last time we were here was for The Great Escape – I think this is better” and boy, was she right. This was a musical delight and, with new songs ‘Love’ and ‘Bonnie’ sounding as catchy and memorable as the others, they’re on an upward trajectory only comparable with a rocket.

Liam McMillen

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