Writer Laura Mills / Photographer Dominic Mould
I touch down in Digbeth, arriving at O2 Institute to go through a dated corridor just before the double doors. I can already hear some big sound vibrating through the walls.
Downstairs I head to see German stars Leoniden giving it their all, bouncing and bounding around the stage. Leoniden is a mix of funky indie sounds with immense energy but heavy and powerful enough to have a rock edge. They may be supporting, but they’ve captured the stage as theirs in front of my very eyes and the entire crowd are clearly fixated.
As the singer screams “Who said they’d never jump for a support band?” the punters at the institute jump along with the band perfectly in time.
There’s a quick break, the packed crowd are waiting eagerly for Lime Cordiale’s appearance, and the air is filled with a mix of beer, sweat and Elf Bars.
Suddenly, the lights dim but the intensity rises as we wait for the band to step on to the stage, and then they do. Music blaring out, dressed head to toe in the quirkiest brightly coloured suits, each band member switching into different fruitful poses while the crowd gaze, obsessed by their every move.
Lime Cordiale kicks off this mid week set with a bang, and one of my personal favourites ‘On Our Own’. The guitar chords creating a riff that could shimmer paired with confident, solid vocals makes a Lime Cordiale a complete treat to hear. The layering in this track is sensational and projected onto the adoring crowd who are waving their arms in the air.
Next up is ‘Naturally’, straight into the vocals from Louis Leimbach – superb exactly the same as recorded, if not better. This song also introduces this Brummy crowd to Oli Leimbach’s vocals that are sweeter and softer than his brothers but just as good.
The instrumental is so strong with this band in every track. It feels thought out and so well put together creating this sense of unity between them and that is mirrored in the crowd’s reaction who are lapping up the electric atmosphere created in the room.
Throughout the show we see each band member take on various instruments such as the clarinet, trumpet and a trombone only adding to the immense atmosphere Lime Cordiale have already created in the venue.
One thing that stands out about Lime Cordiale is they have a consistent, trademark sound, managing to capture this and convey it through both of their albums.
The setlist for this has been chosen perfectly, a mix of their classic songs and some of their latest tracks which are received fondly by the brummy crowd.
The atmosphere is completely joyful, almost like a carnival in the smaller sized venue and five lads with clear stylish persona clearing everyone’s mind of anything other than the music.
A special shout out to the security for passing out water, I really needed a drink after all that singing. But it’s all a ploy to distract us because the crowd turns around, Louis and Oli are up on the balcony with a guitar and a mic ready to sing ‘Waking Up Easy’ to give Louis his ‘Ed Sheeran moment’ and what a moment it is.
A sea of people singing each and every line along with the brothers.
Back on the main stage the brothers are mocking German accents after the first part of their European tour.
We launch into ‘Ticks Me Off’ and if we weren’t already losing our shit because of the fast pace of this song, then Oli jumping on to the barrier getting us to chant fires everyone up even more. The pace in this track is much faster and that with a mix of Oli firing us up sends the fans jumping around like mad.
Oli’s telling us to be careful post show and encouraging us to love ourselves which I think everyone needs to hear, but it sounds even better coming from this musician.
A cover of ‘I Touch Myself’ makes for a great sing along uniting the crowd once more. The lads leave the stage but I know we’re not done yet.
Suddenly they reappear with ‘Robbery’ performing it with absolute energy and precision – much better than the studio version, and we finish on ‘Inappropriate Behaviour’.
Lime Cordiale, I’m in love with you. O2 institute, I will be back.
For more on Leoniden, check out their website here: www.leonidenmusik.de
For more on Lime Cordiale, check their website here: www.limecordiale.com
For more events at the O2 Institute go to: www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham