In a music industry still dominated by reunion rumours and nostalgia-driven tours, Echobelly’s set at The Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent stood as a powerful testament to the idea that a genuine legacy is built through evolution rather than mere repetition. The veteran Britpop ensemble made a bold return with a performance that was both a celebration of the storied history and a declaration of their ongoing relevance, tight-knit, impassioned, and radiating the confidence of a band that masters their craft.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of their beloved album On, Echobelly have spent the past month touring major venues across the country, including Manchester’s New Century Hall. But tonight, on a cold and rainy Friday, they bring that same energy to an intimate crowd of 400 at The Sugarmill. What unfolds feels like a living time capsule, a band revisiting their past with renewed vitality. They open with the propulsive “Car Fiction,” immediately igniting the room before seamlessly launching into the anthemic “King of the Kerb.” It’s a clever move, front-loading one of their most recognisable hits to draw the audience in early. The response is electric, voices merge into one, the venue transformed into a shared chorus of nostalgia and euphoria that only a handful of truly great live acts can conjure.
Frontwoman Sonya Madan’s vocals were compellingly fierce yet delicately tender, channelling the emotional depth that has always set Echobelly apart from their contemporaries. When she sang her poignant lines, “he’s the king of the kerb, he’s doing it for you,” the sentiment echoed with a timeless relevance, resonating as deeply now as it did three decades prior. The exhilarating “Great Things” emerged as an anthem of resilience, filling the audience with a sense of empowerment as they chanted, “I want to do great things, don’t want to compromise,” while “Dark Therapy” provided a moment of introspection, its moody beauty elevated by Glenn Johannson’s shimmering guitar work that cut through the atmospheric haze.
The night concludes with an exciting five-song encore, showcasing the band’s B-sides and rarities, a vivid reminder of why Echobelly is one of the most enduring forces in Britpop. As fans streamed out of the venue into the cool, crisp air of Stoke, posters near the exits hinted at the arrival of new Echobelly music in 2026, generating a fresh wave of anticipation among concertgoers.
Echobelly provide far from a mere nostalgic experience; they reaffirm their relevance in today’s landscape. Echobelly departed from the stage not as a group clinging to their past, but as forward-thinking artists pushing their creative boundaries, proving that true icons never truly fade away.
