Will Joseph Cook, the 21-year old indie-pop performer played his biggest crowd at Heaven on Thursday, the 12th of May. The crowd was warmed up by indie/alternative songwriter, Ten Tonnes, whose influences are drawn from Lewis Watson and Catfish and the Bottleman as well as being the younger brother of the talented George Ezra.
The beginning of Will’s show opened up with creative graphics on the back wall which spoke about love and compassion overdubbed by a 1930’s sounding voice over which concluded with flashing text and spotlights projecting like out of control robots.
The music was then kickstarted and as soon as the first chord of the album title track “Sweet Dreamer” was played, it was another level of atmosphere as the whole crowd turned into a jumping frenzy, all fuelled with excitement.
This continued on to the anthemic and heart racing “Treat Me Like A Lover” followed by the tropical pop tune “Plastic” which kept up the consistent buzz throughout the venue. “Take Me Dancing” is my personal favourite; its romantic and upbeat, and combining this with some sway worthy moves which are often only found at an old school indie disco, it is the perfect sync track for any 90’s chick flick such as Clueless.
Will joked with the crowd as he said “Can anyone tell me what day it is” as he launched into “For Thursday” followed by a throwback to “Daisy Chains” which showed off his amazing vocal range as he slides in and out of an effortless falsetto.
The crowd were one of the friendliest set of fans I’ve ever come across with nothing but jokes and a good time bouncing from all corners of the room. There was a surprisingly a lot of moshing throughout the set which was obviously not an issue, I just found it incredibly random but Will’s slick performing and easy-going stage presence left fans feeling so care-free its not surprise.
However, the next track toned down the jumping as the tempo slowed for “Water’s Gone Cold”, Will taking to the stage with just his acoustic guitar stripping it back and letting his mature and unique sounding vocals take centre point.
This was followed by punchy ballad “Habit” and an ultimate shoutout to the guy who threw it back to the 90’s as he drew out a lighter during this song, waving back on forth as he sat on his mates shoulders, I have to say everyone was highly entertained as the crowd had to ensure this nutty fan made it onto their snapchat stories.
He dedicated his most recent release the funky pop beat of “Girls Like Me” to his friend Dean who is currently fighting cancer and couldn’t make it to his gig. In the groovy and dynamic instrumental break he stepped down from behind his mic and took him and his guitar to the front, channelling the crowd’s excitement along with his own.
He threw it back to his first EP for the closing track “Beach”. It was without a doubt the most community feeling gig I’ve been too, all we needed for location perfection would be if the roof of ‘Heaven’ opened up and the warmth from outside seeped into the venue, bringing that ultimate summer festival feel.
It’s without a doubt when Will Joseph Cook hits the circuit over the coming months with his relatable lyrics and transmissible melodies, he will be following in the footsteps of some of his clear sounding influences such as Vampire Weekend and Foster the People, and will get those party feels flowing from start to finish.
Keep Tabs on Will Joseph Cook: Facebook // Twitter // Website
Words by Jodie Brunning
