Brad UK Tour
Stone Gossard is best known for his work in Pearl Jam but for 20 years he has also worked with a band called Brad. A lucky few had the opportunity to catch a very rare and low-key show at Islington Academy.
Despite Brad receiving mixed reviews from Pearl Jam fans there was a real sense of excitement in the room, as the band hit the stage and the first notes of Buttercup rang out, it was obvious that there was a lot of love and admiration for Brad, and as frontman Shawn Smith sang out, while practically hiding under his hat, the audience were completely in awe.
While not interacting with the audience that much, the band had a great presence and command of the stage, and when Smith did speak he was very charming and the crowd were hanging on every word.
Brad's performance seamlessly switched from guitar led grooves and emotional piano led tracks and despite being different to their other songs; 20th Century worked very well as part of their set, and the audience seemed to have strong links with what was the band's first single. This track was a definite highlight of the night.
Brad put on a near faultless performance and their energy levels remained high throughout. The show came full circle as Smith returned to his keyboard to sing Buttercup for the second time that night and it seemed like the perfect end to the show.