Long Island Give It All Or Nothing In Leeds
Image Credit: @_charsphotos_ on Instagram
Long Island have returned, back to where it all began in Leeds. Having played their first ever gig together at the Lending Room, it was time for their full circle moment to return to the venue for their biggest headliner to date. This comes after being flagged by This Feeling as a Big in 2025 act which included slots at Isle of Wight, Truck and Ynot? Festivals, making their international debut in Sweden at Viva Sounds and recognition from Radio 1 and Radio X. After being blown away by their set in Scunthorpe for Westview Sounds, I knew I had to go see them again in all their glory. Support came from Leeds local Danny Clement and from across the Pennines with Cottons second on the bill.
Leeds indie pop artist Danny Clements launched proceedings with soft guitar tones and a thick powerful voice that commanded the room. His set was a fun, relaxed way to get into the evening but still complimenting Long Island’s style perfectly. ‘Shut Me Off’ introduced his set with a beautiful bridge and exciting build up to the final chorus. ‘Letters’ brought a more soulful energy to the room with pretty piano riffs floating along the melodies. Clements and co. played ‘Fall in Love’ for the first time in a long time and after hearing this live, they should be making it a more staple part of their sets! The soft guitar tones laid the foundation for more of those piano riffs and Clements’ vocals building up to a compelling summit.
Cottons joined the bill from Manchester with faster tracks gliding through the crowd, characterised by surfing guitar solos and pulsating drums. Decorated with glowsticks, the band danced through tracks with heavy basslines and sassy chorus melodies, with particularly impressive dance moves from the bassist. One touch of the set I loved was the transition from their cover of ‘Disco 2000’ by Pulp into their track ‘Bitter’ which was a complete change in energy. ‘old skool town’ closed out the set with the band splitting the room in half and putting each side against each other to see who could sing the bridge better which made for a fun interactive atmosphere.
Long Island brought their summer beach energy to the stage (also donning glowsticks and joining them on stage were a number of inflatable flamingos). The band really epitomise their name with flowing guitar riffs from Cameron Conner and the ever-charismatic Rhiannon Stephenson dancing around the stage in a black sparkly dress from her iconic wardrobe. ‘all or nothing’ kicked off their set which was a super groovy and addictive track to get everyone dancing. ‘sweet song’ continued the dreamy flowing energy as fans swayed to the rhythms and calming basslines from Jack Peters. ‘blissful satisfaction’ stood out to me with the varying tempos and styles, with the slow acapella introduction that rapidly changed to a grooving guitar section with playful lyrical play from Stephenson throughout the verses.
The crowd were treated to the live debut of brand-new track ‘not this time’ which was brilliant. Stephenson adapted her vocal style to match the more sombre lyrical tones with fantastic drum riffs from Harry Millington and tapping of the sides of the cymbals, something I don’t get to see often! This is a track I hope gets released sooner rather than later as the song has really stuck with me since. Long Island are all charismatic characters, with Millington playing random drumbeats to entertain the crowd as Conner retuned his guitar and everyone cheering and asking for more. For ‘special place’ Stephenson took on a guitarist role as Conner moved to an acoustic guitar to deliver a beautiful calming singalong full of sweet, moving lyrics.
Tracks ‘not fair’ and ‘homewrecker’ raised the energy back up with one fan shouting “fuck yeah” when the backing synth track played and they realised what the track was. That was a perfectly valid reaction as ‘homewrecker’ is a great track. I was blown away by Conner just playing the riff by tapping across the strings with his fingers, showcasing his skills. The final three tracks were the best-chosen tracks to round up an amazing headliner from the band. ‘wild side’ delivered the attitude and quick wordplay before ‘happier’ arrived as the penultimate track, another one that desperately needs releasing. The song was my standout track during their slot in Scunthorpe so to hear it live again was super exciting. The crowd belted out each “I thought I’d be happier”, clapping along to each heartbeat bass riff from Peters as the bridge built up to the final chorus. I can only make my own plea to get this one out as soon as possible!
Stephenson asked the crowd if they wanted some more which smoothly introduced their final track ‘want it more’, consisting of dominating basslines, choruses backed by huge walls of sound and the crowd screaming “I want it more!” Long Island’s headliner showed just how special this band are and why they are consistent parts of the festival circuits. With upcoming slots at Stockton Calling, The Great Escape and This Feeling By The Sea, there’s plenty chance for you to catch them live, which I couldn’t recommend people do more after what was a brilliant night.
Words by Ruby Macklin