Echobelly – Live Review – Network, Sheffield
By Joe Bartlett, October 2025
In an era where the media’s obsession with Oasis’s reunion might lead one to believe Britpop began and ended with the Gallagher brothers, Echobelly’s performance at Network in Sheffield was a timely reminder that the genre was never just one band. While stadiums echo with nostalgia-fuelled chants, Network offered something more authentic: a band still turning it on, still doing it for themselves, and still commanding the room.
As part of their 30th Anniversary Tour, Echobelly performed the entirety of their second album, On, in full, in original track order. This decision offered a rare opportunity to experience the album as a unified body of work, just like I listened to the album on my CD Walkman bacvk in 1995.
The performance began with album opener ‘Car Fiction’ – and if the crowd were not already moving they certainly were as soon as Glenn Johansson launched into the opening arpeggio of ‘King of the Kerb’, Echobelly’s biggest song, and beloved by all those “best indie album ever” compilations. the track is usually saved for the encore, but it was wonderful to see the audience reaction to having it so early in the set, meaning that the crowd was well and truly into the performance, rather than hanging around the back so you are near to the bar as you know that the big songs will all come at the end.
Echobelly remain firmly doing it for themselves, and for those who still believe in the power of live music to challenge and uplift. Sonya Madan’s delivery of “he’s the king of the kerb, he’s doing it for you” was pointed, reminding the audience that the song’s themes of marginalisation of youth are as poignant as ever.
“Elevating”
As the band whipped though their set, other highlights included ‘Great Things’, performed with a sense of defiance with the crowd screaming “I want to do great things, I don’t want to compromise…” at the top of their lungs. The lyrics speak of aspirations that may have never materialised for the majority of the audience, but I can’t have been the only person wistfully thinking that I wished I had followed the “Great Things” manifesto a little closer over the last 30 years.
Another highlight, and perhaps my favourite Echobelly song, was ‘Dark Therapy’. This was particularly affecting, capturing the song’s introspective melancholy and elevating it beyond its studio recording. Madan’s voice urging all “to close your eyes then I can take you all the way”. The performance was a reminder that therapy in the form of live music is readily available for those who seek out.
After the closing track, I expected an encore of a couple of tracks but we were treated to a further five songs, serving as a fitting conclusion, reaffirming Echobelly’s place within the Britpop canon and reminding the audience that Britpop was not just about the lads, but was actually a diverse scene that encouraged numerous female fronted bands such as Elastica, Catatonia and Sleeper.
“Belted out with gusto”
Network, formerly The Plug, remains one of Yorkshire’s best venues for live music. Its acoustics are well-calibrated for bands unlike other smaller venues where you feel moments away from an eardrum piercing feedback attack. The room itself was ideal for giving everyone in attendance an intimate feel whilst still radiating the togetherness that comes from being in a packed room with like-minded fans.
While the return of Oasis and the surprise new album by Pulp may have taken the headlines on 2025, it was great to see that Echobelly are still out there “doing it for themselves”. Their performance was not a nostalgic indulgence but a living, breathing affirmation of Britpop’s diversity. Watching Echobelly perform in a venue designed for live music, rather than a stadium or park repurposed for spectacle, underscored the value of intimate, high-quality performances. I would have killed to attend this gig in 1995!
As I made my way home, I was surprised how much the lyrics still spoke to me and the members of the audience who were around my age. I was left with the feeling that the more things change, the more they stay the same, and that there is always going to be a place for uplifting indie bangers that deal with social issues belted out with gusto regardless of the age of the band or audience.
images: Joe Bartlett
While working in the legal industry, Joe Bartlett spent years balancing his day job with a deep-rooted passion for music – playing in bands and attending gigs across the UK. In 2018, after finally laying to rest his (admittedly deluded) dreams of rock and roll stardom, he dipped his toe into the world of arts journalism. Since then, Joe has been on a mission to share his love of live music, art and culture with readers, offering insights, reflections and recommendations to inspire others to get out and experience the richness of the UK’s creative scene. Having performed and partied everywhere from Grimethorpe to Glastonbury, Whitby to Wembley, and countless places in between, Joe is perfectly placed to review all aspects of the arts – from the grassroots to the grandiose.
