Florentenes Live Review – Patterns – 09/04/2026
Florentenes leapt onto the scene in 2023, when they released their debut single ‘Gone’, and have already supported big names like Jamie Webster and Sundara Karma. Hailing from the mysterious lands of Bolton, this four-piece band is currently making itself heard across the country, supporting The Kairos during their tour of sticky-floored grassroots venues.
They opened their set with an energetic performance of their track ‘The News’, a song that balances bombastic, crashing musical parts with more subdued, vocally focused moments, before playing ‘Madeline’ (arguably their most assured song). The dynamic performance instantly got the crowd moving, and this spirited reaction was maintained throughout the rest of their set.
Lead singer Will Train Smith’s gritty, rasping vocals elevate every track, creating an emotional pull for the audience to hang on to. Despite their youth (the entire band is still in their teens), they proved themselves to be absolute powerhouses, both in the command of their instruments and in the formidable vocal performance produced.
Their sound is emblematic of early to mid-2000s indie rock, like a slightly more angsty cross between The Vaccines, The Kooks and The Arctic Monkeys. I felt like I was being teleported back to my childhood, where music like this infiltrated every car journey and permeated the halls at school discos. Despite the feeling of nostalgia evoked through the band’s sound, their tracks don’t feel predictable or overdone, with interesting sonic twists creating an engaging listening experience.
They ended the set with a couple of newer tracks where, at one point, the singer appealed to the crowd for help naming the song, explaining that’s the part of being a musician he’s worst at.
There is no doubt that this band is going places, and the support slot they had felt way too short. I would recommend keeping an eye out for future tours (hopefully ones they are headlining). It’ll definitely be worth the price of the ticket, and, when they inevitably blow up, you can have the satisfaction of saying you were there first.
Tickets to see Florentenes supporting The Kairos can be found here: Tickets
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Photography by Fi Muncaster