The First Ones at Roberts Park, Saltaire
Saturday 1 July, 2023

The reality of playing outdoors in the British summer hit home for Doug, Dan and Will at the Bradford Dragon Boat Festival.

But the Emley-based trio took things in their stride despite everything the elements threw at them during their performance.

One point a huge gust of wind almost threatened to blow the roof of the stage and guitarist Doug was doused with rain.

But one of things that’s so impressive about the First Ones is the way they deal with adversity in a live setting. Wet fretboards hold no terrors for Doug, who just gets on with delivering their distinctive brand of spiky pop rock.

Such self-confidence belies their tender years – these boys are frighteningly young! At Roberts Park, they won the admiration of a weather-beaten crowd for a set that mixed crowd-pleasing covers by the likes of the Stones Roses (“He’s certainly got a better voice than Ian Brown” observed one onlooker) and the Arctic Monkeys with their own compositions.

Opening track Red Ridge is a deceptively insistent grower while their most recent release Parallel Universe really gives Dan on bass and Will on drums a chance to let rip as much as Doug.

Not just the First Ones – but ones to watch for sure.

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Simon Ashberry