LIVE REVIEW: Yours Truly @ Downstairs At the Dome, London

With a rollercoaster few years behind them, YOURS TRULY have not only released their second album Toxic but ticked off bucket list gigs ahead of this tour with appearances at Reading & Leeds over the bank holiday weekend. Now though, they’re touring Toxic through a series of intimate shows with a stop tonight at London’s Downstairs At the Dome with support from LETTERS SENT HOME. 

Said openers are the sole support for the night so there’s a solid crowd amassed by the time they’re due on. They immediately suffer from a poor mix, the drums louder than most everything else and no audible guitars which is a shame as it sounds like they should have some solid hooks that are instead lost. The German quartet have only recently released their debut album, Forever Undone, so it’s understandable they aren’t the most polished or have the best stagecraft; they do well for how fresh they are and there’s definite moments of promise despite the mix. It’s a shame that takes away so much from their set, as on record they’ve got some bangers that just don’t properly translate tonight, but their earnest energy carries them through and the crowd give them a warm welcome. 

Rating: 7/10

In stark contrast, YOURS TRULY sound much better, with a chunky guitar tone and Mikaila Delgado’s vocals soaring. Opening with Toxic’s first track Back 2 U, it immediately gets the crowd going and singing its chorus while California Sober throws back to their pop punk roots with huge, earworm hooks. Delgado is every inch the confident performer, striding across the stage, dancing and encouraging the crowd to sing and dance too. An early High Hopes is a welcome surprise, arguably the song that kickstarted their initially meteoric rise and it gets the raucous reception it deserves. Guitarist Teddy Winder-Haron is clearly having a blast, while new drummer Henry Beard has slotted in easily, sounding like he’s been playing with the band for far longer. He’s also a force on the kit, injecting a sense of power and urgency that elevates their songs.

Delgado is unfortunately talked over during songs as she’s talking about the hurt the band endured over the past couple of years, though a quick wit “I’m being emo, just listen,” and “if you do it again, I’m walking off,” as they kick off Funeral Home proves just how much she’s grown as a performer. Poor luck strikes during Sour that prompts the band to fully stop the song and Delgado to address the crowd due to crowd killers, though a restart soon gathers their momentum again. They do have to cut a song due to it, though it means that Sinking hits all the harder by following Sour, with Winder-Haron taking over the mid song screams, his pained tones further underscoring the song’s emotional gut punch. The lovelorn All That I’m Not puts Delgado’s powerhouse voice front and centre for an emotional high point followed by the liquid d’n’b of Love Feels Like, and a later Call My Name acts as the perfect set closer to a show that, despite a few troubles, has been one of their best here in the capital. 

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from C Wilkinson Media here: 

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