LIVE FROM THE PIT: Tropic Gold and Harpy

In a small room called The Lodge, at Manchester’s Deaf Institute, TROPIC GOLD played a sold-out show on the second night of their first solo-headlining tour. Alongside singer HARPY, they kicked off the weekend with an explosive start. There was a buzz of excitement in the room as the crowd waited for the opener, soundtracked by a fittingly loud pre-show playlist over the speakers. An eclectic mix of accents among the punters hinted at the distances travelled and the dedication present, and their shared enthusiasm would become clearer throughout the night.

First to take the stage was HARPY, who had recently collaborated with the headliner TROPIC GOLD for a single named Witch House. With her two backing musicians, the opening song Medicine immediately turned it up to 11. The music was fast-paced and energetic, barely contained within the room that held it. While sometimes a show may have openers that aren’t as energetic as the headliner, it became quickly clear that this was not one of those shows. A few songs in, and the crowd was already into it, with a mosh pit forming in the rear of the room. The highly intimate nature of the venue meant that even the small pit took up a lot of space, but there was a sense of comradery as fans protected other fans where needed, and sincere apologies when knocks were unavoidable.

Many of the songs on the setlist were taken from her debut EP, VII, which took inspiration from the 7 deadly sins. The Bandcamp page for it describes it as ‘where seduction meets shame… sensual and unapologetically human’, which was felt in the way she performed: provocative and unafraid, paired with powerful and haunting vocals. One new song was present on the setlist named Voyeur, the introduction for this new song led into the announcement for her first headliner tour coming in February. While her opening set was not the longest, it was a taste of great things to come from her.

The energy from the crowd remained high as the wait for the headliner went by, like a dog pulling at its lead. Much like a dog running off, the energy from the crowd was immediately unleashed as soon as the first TROPIC GOLD song, Sodium, began. Lead singer Jacob Parris demonstrated a mastery over vocals, juxtaposing strong singing with impactful screams. There was an enthusiasm in the audience that could rival a crowd ten times its size. There was movement everywhere, and a circle pit that would come and go. Parris noted that it was their largest Manchester crowd to date, and his appreciation shone through as he was met with cheers in reply. His appreciation, and that of his fellow band members – guitarist Joshua Lee and drummer Amy Barnett – would appear to grow with the love from the audience continued to be shown throughout the night. 

When it came to the fourth song of the night, HARPY returned to the stage to lend her talent for Witch House, and the two singers complimented each others’ performances well. The collaboration led into the introduction of a new song, dubbed Glitter. Despite it being a fresh song, the crowd responded positively to it, continuing the energy of the night thus far. If the passion from the crowd had somehow gone unnoticed by anyone, it was abundantly clear about midway through the set and impossible to ignore. A fan movement had been organised before the show’s start, and revealed itself to the band during Outta My Head. A slight twist on the trope of phone torches out in the crowd, with the torches coloured green by little slips of paper handed out by the organising fan, mirroring the lighting design on stage. The gesture was clearly very appreciated by the band, Parris saying ‘that was special’.

Continuing the night, the band pulled from a variety of places in their discography, including singles Breathe and Adrenaline. The rock and metal stylings were occasionally punctuated by hits of synths, adding a nice contrast to the heavier guitars. As the setlist drew to its close, Lee quipped that he felt they didn’t need to teach the call-and-response of the final song Holy Horror, as he appeared in awe of the crowd’s dedication. While the band began to pack down in practised routine, the crowd chanted for ‘one more song’, a reaction that the band stated they were unprepared for. A request for suggestions for the impromptu encore was met with a ruckus of numerous songs, before the band decided to reprise their opening song Sodium, with the caveat that ‘the intro [was] still attached’, and to pretend that they were redoing their stage entry. When the set ended, this time for real, emotions were high, some fans in tears as they expressed appreciation for the show that just occurred.

TROPIC GOLD clearly already have a dedicated following, and one that is sure to continue to grow. Their mix of metal, rock, and electronic influences is attention grabbing, unfailing to drive the energy up for a mass of movement in a crowd. It’s not hard to imagine them performing in larger venues where the space can accommodate the enthusiastic and frequent moshing.

Words and photos: Ace Cheng