To say the Lending Room was packed for October Drift* would be an understatement… So London’s Dude, My Dude had an excellent reception for their first Leeds gig. Their frenzied, surfer-rock sounds bathed the room in good vibes, and their chatty dynamic was fun and engaging from the off.

Through commands of circle pits, perpetually expressive faces while playing and a superb cover of ‘Crash’ by The Primitives, the five-piece’s tour with October Drift was tied up and we were all suitably warmed up for the headliner. Definitely a support act worth getting down early for.

The crowd was a mix of ages, and many had turned out in t-shirts from previous gigs. Clusters of people parted like the waves as slow rumbles of riffs emerged and their frontman appeared, biblically, within the sea of bodies. As he struck the guitar strings, you could see the rest of the outfit had climbed onstage, and the frantic raucousness began. They were exciting, formidable and a great advert for joining a band and just throwing yourself around.

October Drift were on point with their vocals and instruments at all times; blistering the drum skins, thumping on the bass and even capitalising on amp feedback. They cemented their place in the alternative rock scene within seconds of performing. And ‘performing’ was exactly the term for what they did, as the drama was there just as much as the shredding.

Judging by the uproar, ‘Webcam Funerals’ was among the most popular hits. But we had a solid hour of tunes; some untameable and fast, others slower and more sombre. Yet, after all the singing-on-the-bar moments and getting in the thick of the crowd, it was at the very end, when frontman and drummer were amid the fans — campfire-style, simply with a guitar, tambourine and their voices — that the almost cult-esque appreciation for their delivery came through.

Lyrics were bellowed and one thing was for sure: it’s October all the time.

*With thanks to October Drift for the guestlist entry.