Canadian rock duo cleopatrick took to the stage at Birmingham’s O2 Institute 2 for a sold out gig on 26th November as they brought their debut album BUMMER to the venue. Returning to the UK for the first time post lockdown due to restrictions, their strong stage presence and showmanship made this live performance unforgettable.

There was a huge buzz in the crowd before the show had even begun, with people in the stalls talking about cleopatrick and the other bands in New Rock Mafia – a collective started by cleopatrick centred around their vision to create and rejuvenate the culture of rock and guitar music, encouraging more inclusive and honest values. It felt like there was a real sense of community in the crowd which is always a nice environment to be in.

The gig started with support from Sick Joy, a band I had not listened to before but left a huge fan. My favourite song they played was ‘Smiling Shame,’ which seemed to be popular among the crowd with a lot of them jumping along with the song. It is safe to say the punk rock feel Sick Joy delivered successfully animated the crowd in anticipation for cleopatrick.

After a short wait, cleopatrick came on stage. The crowd roared in eagerness as they heard the first few chords of headbanger ‘VICTORIA PARK,’ and the energy levels were insane from the start of the show and this was maintained throughout the entire gig. I was at the barrier for the majority of the show, and usually here I feel disconnected from the rest of the crowd jumping and dancing around, however even at the barrier I got to enjoy the energy of the crowd which was great fun.

‘sanjake,’ ‘GOOD GRIEF’ and ‘THE DRAKE’ followed the opening song. These are all very fun and lively tracks and the crowd descended into mosh pits at every chance they could. It was clear everyone had missed the chaotic experience of being shoved around in sweaty bodies to their favourite music after the massive break we have had in being able to see live music. There was clear love and compassion from frontman Luke Gruntz for the fans and crowd which was refreshing to see; he lightly requested the crowd push less and jump more when he noticed it getting slightly intense in the stalls for some people, as well as dedicating a song to a fan for his birthday.

During the show, Luke took the time to talk to the audience too, expressing how happy he was to be back performing and how it was only cleopatrick’s second time in Birmingham. Then came the vibrant fan favourite ‘hometown’ and the crowd rejoiced again. Everyone seemed to know this classic a little better than some of their newer songs and were singing along that bit louder – the atmosphere was incredible. The alluring build-up to the final chorus of ‘bernard trigger’ followed with its new live extended outro riled the crowd up even more. This was my second time seeing the duo live and both times I have felt that this was definitely one of their best songs just from the sheer captivation they get from the audience – particularly this time around with the extended outro. With just a guitar and drum kit, the duo created an atmosphere that left the crowd wanting more.

After the intensity and high energy levels that came with the past couple of songs, cleopatrick slowed it down with a chilling and striking performance of ‘2008,’ a vulnerable song about feeling alone and growing up. Before the show started, a lot of the audience were given flashlight filters with the request to use them on our phones during this song to show support to Luke and drummer, Ian Fraser, and it created a beautiful aura and a feel of appreciation for them and their music. There were a sea of blue lights as Luke gave a gritty and raw performance of this song; it was definitely one of the highlights of the show for me. cleopatrick could not end without an encore – they played both ‘youth’ and ‘GREAT LAKES’ to end the gig.

Overall, cleopatrick delivered an incredible show with what I felt to be just the right mix of new and old songs, and I definitely am planning to see them live again.

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