There’s something fun yet refined and polite about an in-store performance; especially when a band such as STONE are renowned for their lively, more raucous gigs. Trading in the usual crowd-surfing for a two-piece, acoustic dynamic, their modest show at The Vinyl Whistle was one excellent way to spend a Tuesday evening*.

Frontman Fin Power — who took the self-proclaimed role of “stoic poet” for the event — and lead guitarist Elliot Gill assumed the small stage and chronologically played their just-dropped debut album, ‘Fear Life For A Lifetime’. In stripped-back form, these tunes still resonated fantastically — even without their more polished, studio-sound oomph.

Naturally, their vocal harmonies were on point throughout, though they peppered the set with some more ad-libbed techniques. ‘Roses’ and ‘Say It Out Loud’ in particular demonstrated their deft abilities on the mics, though, of course, it was Fin’s medley of accented spoken words and melodically sung notes that shone.

The plucked and muted strings on ‘Train’ confirmed it’s still my favourite from the record, while a buoyant energy among the bodies in the shop prevailed on ‘Save Me’. And before finishing, we even got a cheeky, albeit rapid, rendition of a little of Elvis’ ‘Blue Suede Shoes’. Certainly a memorable gig of 2024 for me.

*With thanks to Chuff Media for the press access.