To many Londoners, Brighton is an enjoyable part of the UK to relax and escape the fast and busy city-life, only a quick train journey away. And while many Brightonians would probably not refer to London as relaxing, the four members of Brighton’s High Tyde enjoyed spending the night in one of London’s most iconic venues.

It is in Scala that hundreds of people in their early-twenties gathered to see one of UK’s newest indie rock upcoming sensations, chanting the name of the band as soon as the room’s lights turned to pitch black. Arriving on a stage surrounded by the band’s flashing logo, High Tyde opened the night by playing ‘One Bullet’, a song from their newest EP, Real. A few notes in, and the crowd was filled with the band’s energy. An energy they welcomed jumping with their hands up in the air. An energy that would not fail them for the rest night.

Jumping, laughing, kissing and clapping; it was in a moshing atmosphere created by the fans where lead singer Cody Thomas-Matthews decided to jump into the crowd after only three songs. The ambience in Scala was just electrifying. A connection between the four bandmates and their fans was created. From that moment onwards, one could not work without the other; all entities became one. At this point barely any phones were in the air to capture pictures or videos of the moment; what mattered was to live that moment.

From High Tyde’s different EPs, one after the other, the songs played during the show were bringing more and more power and decent vibes to this connection. And while the notes of songs like ‘Feel It’, ‘Do What You Want’ and ‘Glow’ were flying in the air, they were soon followed by a wave of human beings floating on the crowd during ‘Fuck’. High Tyde and their fans had managed to transform Scala in a real moshpit.

Towards the end of the night, the London crowd had exceeded the expectations the band had. When ‘Dark Love’ started, the audience screamed in high euphoria. Between the jumps, they managed to sing all lyrics along with High Tyde. The last lyrics, followed by the last riffs, followed by the fans’ last scream and chants of the night, hoping for the evening never to end. 

The room went back to pitch-black, the speakers went silent, smiles remained on faces; the night was now over. One by one, hundreds of people left the stage area for the lobby of Scala, hoping to get a picture with the four Brightonians, and, who knows? Maybe a cheeky drink with them as well…

Emilie Herman
@emiliehrrmnn