With the release of his debut album earlier this year, Declan McKenna introduced himself to the world as an indie pop sensation. Performing at Reading Festival he cemented himself as a superstar.
The glee is evident on the crowds faces even before the musician takes to the stage, and it only grows stronger throughout his set. Barely still for a moment, Declan hold the audience in the palm of his hand, throwing himself not just into the songs he’s playing, but into seemingly every empty space on stage – and it’s not long before he’s throwing himself into the crowd too.
“To be fair, I’ve learned before not to crowdsurf because of moshpits forming behind, but it’s fine – it’s rock and roll,” Declan laughs as he clambers back onto the stage front. “It’s shit, but it’s fine.” From the rallying anthem of ‘The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home’, through the endearing sentiment of ‘Paracetamol’, to the chant-a-long monologue of ‘Listen To Your Friends’, and beyond, the musician makes every moment his own.
It’s an energy too bright to be forced, too bold to be broken, and there’s no doubt in the minds of anyone present that it’s one that’s certain to last. This is stardom in the making – and now’s the time to stand up and listen.