On Saturday 24th November, Candid delivered a powerhouse headline performance at a sellout event, filled with their dedicated merch-clad fans.
The night, organised by Live Loud, was nothing short of phenomenal.
This 4-piece Indie Rock band stands at the forefront of the much-awaited revival of Coventry’s music scene, their musical style is young, original and lyrically relevant. Candid, although relatively new, have an impressive string of accomplishments under their belt already. They have performed live at Coventry’s sensational Godiva Festival this summer, headlined the Fresher’s Fest in September and supported Scouting for Girls earlier this month.
The thematic essence of the night was anchored in with the hazy, sublime lighting. The venue was a perfect fit to accompany the youthful, thespian music being strummed out by the three supporting acts. The performances leading up to our headliners had already set the tone for the rest of the show, with electrifying live performances by the likes of hometown bands such as Free Galaxy, The Ellipsis and Second-Hand Strings.
Candid was introduced with an old-school opening monologue relaying into a smooth, melodic riff, the band’s talented drummer, Ben Williams blasting a mild yet powerful rhythmic development followed by the lead vocalist, Rob Latimer opening with the popular fan favourite track ‘Moving On’. When asked about the success of the track since its release two years ago, Rob Latimer shared with us how the song originally came to be, ‘I think the core progression was written in my bedroom, there was no lyrics, there was no anything to it, we had to make it a song as we were coming up to our first gig.’
When asked about their most memorable gig, the band almost unanimously agreed that playing at the Godiva Festival was a career highlight, ‘Finally seeing some people mosh to your songs, felt like an achievement…Godiva was definitely a bucket list moment!’ Rob Latimer.
Candid’s whole-hearted appreciation for each other was evident on stage.
Behind the scenes, they gave us an insight into their creative process and how they interact and engage with each other. When asked about how they met, Ben Williams, the drummer replied, ‘[W]e all went to the same secondary school… also, Rob and Dan are brothers so they met from…birth!’
Each of the band members provided a confident stage presence in their own right, the bassist and the lead guitarist, Sam Baines and Dan Latimer, although subtle in their movements were belting out absolutely outstanding layered guitar work. Rob Latimer, the lead vocalist had an expression of utter bliss throughout the set, content on stage his presence was assuring and captured the audience’s complete attention throughout the set.
Midway through their set the band gave a shout out to fellow Coventry rock talents, Free Galaxy, praising them for coming out for the night and putting on an equally fantastic set. The support and appreciation that is exchanged in the Coventry music scene flaunts the friendly spirit between the bands and their collective desire to build something from the ground.
‘I don’t really see us as carrying the Coventry music scene to be fair’ said Candid’s lead guitarist, Dan Latimer.
‘There are so many great bands in Coventry, like Mara Falls, Free Galaxy, The Desert Yetis…There are so many, but we didn’t realise it until Dan Connelly (founder of Live Loud) introduced us to the events Live Loud put on’ added lead man Rob Latimer.
When asked if Candid takes inspiration from these bands Rob Latimer replied, ‘Yes, every time we watch another band I’m always learning something new … it’s always a lesson.’
It’s clear from their modesty that Candid is one of the most promising Coventry bands.
Candid also played their latest debut track, titled: ‘Time Will Tell’. Before diving into the song, the band thanked the fans for all of their love and support which has since made the track one of the most successful Candid singles to date with over 20k streams on Spotify.
The new track has gained some traction and it is no surprise that it has; it showcases some impressive musical feats and moments featuring explosive percussion.
‘Breathless’ and ‘Rumours’ are also some of Candid’s finest work, which have been closely associated with the works of major names like Catfish and the Bottlemen and the Arctic Monkeys. Backstage we asked frontman Rob Latimer how Candid takes this unreal comparison,
‘When we started out writing that was the main inspiration so we were initially sounding very Catfish and the Bottlemen-esque. We are trying to move away from that, it’s great hearing it but we would like to make our own sound as well.’, he replied.
As Candid drew the night to a natural close, they finished on a high with ‘Breathless’ which sent the crowd into a frenzy. The room boomed with electric dance moves and fans singing along to the melodious yet discordant pull of the sound. It was a night of exceptional music. Here at ESMEDIA, we look forward to hearing more from Candid and are eager to see what 2019 has in store for them and their ongoing success.
With special thanks to Candid and Live loud.
written by Mehreen Yousaf edited by Esmé Spurling
For more information about Live Loud events visit: www.liveloudcov.co.uk/events
For more information about ESMEDIA visit: esmespurlingmedia.com
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