The circus has rolled back in to Sheffield for the three-night 2025 edition of Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus. This extravaganza of music and performance has become a much anticipated fixture on the South Yorkshire music calendar, and Friday night kicked things off on fine style.
Opening up on the main stage, housed inside the Big Top, was Nell Mescal. The Irish singer-songwriter – sister of acclaimed actor Paul Mescal – is fast becoming a favourite, hitting a few festivals around the UK this summer. She delivers 30 mins of sweet, well-crafted songs to an appreciative audience who were already starting to fill out the tent before she arrived on stage.
There are two other stages at the festival this weekend, and over on the Electric Carousel stage we found up and coming Midlands outfit, Deco.
Theirs is a sound influenced by 80s synth-pop, and the brightness and breeziness is perfect for what’s turned out to be a balmy late summer afternoon.
Lead singer Max Kendall is energetic and charismatic, constantly dancing from side to side of the cozy second stage, all the while throwing out a vocal that recalls Wham-era George Michael.
With synths and saxophone from Lucy Kendall and John Dell’s expressive guitar playing, they’re a band that you really have to see when they tour next March.
Cassyette blasted on to the main stage next, with a trademark blistering performance. Dressed all in black, Cassy Brooking aka Cassyette, stalks around the stage with a smile on her face, opening with the epic “September Rain.”
It’s a set of heavy, rib-rattling guitars, and while, in my opinion, Cassyette delivered 100%, this was perhaps not her audience. Those who had come for the more middle of the road ‘rock’ of headliner Bryan Adams were not ready for the Essex artist’s trademark onslaught of alternative rock.
There were efforts to get a pit going in the middle, but only about four people made that happen. On another stage, at another festival, this would have brought the house down.
The brilliant Newton Faulkner was up next on the main stage, ahead of the 19th September release of his new album “OCTOPUS.” It’s a classic Faulkner performance, full of good humour and eclectic sounds.
For a solo artist, he brings his recorded work to life exceptionally well in a live environment, creating all the sounds through some inventive solutions. None more so than the pair of midi-boots that he’s engineered so he can keep the beats coming while playing guitar.
There’s a huge singalong of his biggest hit “Dream Catch Me” and closing out with his “party trick” – a rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” – this was a joyful half hour to carry us into the evening.
On the BBC Introducing stage, Chesterfield band, The Crooks filled the penultimate slot. The performance was whole-hearted, but they leaned a little too heavily into their clear influence to really stand out.
With the microphone stance, phrasing and even the tambourine, lead singer Jacko sails a little too close to the Oasis wind. Alongside him, the anoraks, attitude and Gibson ES-355 all emulate the band from the other side of The Pennines. Entertaining and energetic, but perilously too close to 90s indie tributes to really excite.
I’m now back to the main stage for bona fide pop legend, Melanie C. Whether you loved the Spice Girls or not in their heyday, it’s hard to question their broader impact.
Melanie C bounds out on to the stage, still sporty, dressed in sequined Kappa tracky bottoms and launched into “Anymore”, from her 2016 record “Version Of Me.”
We learn throughout the set that Sheffield holds a special place in her heart. The Spice Girls’ first stadium show was “on this hallowed ground”, while the first Melanie C solo show was down the road in the legendary Leadmill.
It is the solo material that dominates the 75-minute set, with particular high points coming in the shape of “Never Be The Same Again” and “Northern Star.” Inevitably, it’s the short Spice Girls section that raises the roof in the Big Top.
Kicking off with “Spice Up Your Life”, it’s a nostalgia-filled 10 minutes with full-throated singing from the packed crowd, and more than a few dance routines. Practiced in teenage bedrooms, and retrieved from the corners of minds, the crowd are able to bring a bit of 90s pop action to the tent as Melanie runs through “2 Become 1” and finally “Who Do You Think You Are?”
With the crowd still revelling in the glow of the 90s throwbacks, Melanie closes things out with her biggest solo track, “I Turn To You-, still a straight up banger and keeping the packed out circus tent on a high to the very end.
Running over slightly, she shouts “will you have one more dance with me Sheffield! Let’s fucking have it!” The crowd erupts one final time, loving every second of the most polished performance of the night.
Headliner Bryan Adams delivered a solid, high quality set, full of hits. It was elevated by the appearance of Cassyette, returning to the stage for a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”, and Mel C for a surprise Spice Girls cover, “Say You’ll Be There”, as well as the hit duet classic “When You’re Gone.”
- Editor’s Note: Bryan Adams was the headliner on Friday, but sadly we were unable to photograph his performance due to unacceptable terms of the photo release form he makes photographers sign.
Check out Saturday’s and Sunday’s coverage…
Words & Photos by Huw Williams
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