Rescue Rooms was buzzing last night as indie-pop band Deco took to the stage for a sold-out show, with support from up-and-coming local Cam Mannix. Both acts delivered performances that perfectly captured their evolving sound, with Deco celebrating their recent debut album and Mannix showing promise.
Cam Mannix started the night, opening with the first song he ever released. Without a drummer for this show, Mannix opted to perform slower, more laid-back versions of his tracks, which added a raw, intimate feel. Introducing a track called ‘Azeta’, he told the crowd he was “moving into a more vibey one,” as the song brought a subtle groove to the set.
Mannix followed with ‘How Do You Know You’ll Never Love’, one of his older songs, before shifting into something more psychedelic, keeping the audience intrigued. He closed with ‘Midnight Sound’, an unreleased track that ramped up the energy, setting a more upbeat tone to get the crowd ready for Deco. Although his stage presence could have been stronger, Mannix showcased his talent, leaving the crowd eager to hear more from him in the future.
When Deco took the stage, the room exploded with energy. Kicking off with ‘Temporary’ and ‘Next to You’, they had the audience moving from the very start. Notably, this gig carried extra significance for Deco, as Nottingham is the city where they first met and formed the band, making the night feel even more special.
Frontman Max Kendall took a moment to appreciate the packed room after performing these songs, saying, “This is full, isn’t it?” The band have recently released their debut album Destination: I Don’t Know and he thanked the crowd for helping them get it into the UK album charts last month.
They followed up with the track ‘Forever’ before treating the crowd to a cover of The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, a track they’d also performed at their Rough Trade show in the city last month. The cover was a highlight of the set, showcasing Deco’s ability to make familiar songs their own. The band then reflected on their history in Nottingham, with Max sharing that it had been exactly 10 years since his first gig at the same venue, where he supported another band.
The set had plenty of interactive moments, including when they asked the crowd to shout out their favourite songs from the album. One of the band’s personal favourites, ‘Do Ya?’, was met with cheers, but a humorous moment occurred during a singalong when the crowd attempted the chorus. Everyone was out of time with each other, but that didn’t matter – Deco were just grateful the crowd knew the words.
Later, ‘Rescue Me’ brought a slower, more emotional moment to the set without losing any of the crowd’s energy. Then came ‘Just Can’t Get You Out of My Mind’, keeping the momentum high. The band took a brief moment to reflect on their journey, with Max saying, “We’ve been doing this a bloody long time.” They used the opportunity to take the audience “back in time a little bit,” playing earlier singles like ‘I Don’t Want to Go Out Tonight’.
Then, they transitioned into stories from their recent inter-railing trip, explaining that fans had voted on their travel destinations. These anecdotes included them nearly getting arrested in Berlin after not having the correct train ticket – or, as Max admitted a few moments later, not having a train ticket at all.
The crowd laughed as Lucy Kendall mentioned that it was an interesting experience having to share the trip with six boys, adding, “Not as nice as you think when one of them is your brother.” She explained that the Birmingham crowd had whistled at this during an earlier show on the tour, and someone in the Nottingham crowd cheekily shouted, “That’s normal for Birmingham!”
Max also shared the story of an 80-year-old American named Jeff (or Geoff – apologies if the spelling is incorrect), who they met on a night train back from Vienna at one point. “At this point, I fell in love with Jeff,” Max joked, before playing the song from the album that they had shown him during their journey, ‘Don’t’.
Things became more intimate during ‘Atmosphere’, as the audience lit up the room with their phone torches. This led into an ‘80s-inspired cover of Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’, inspired by their mashups on social media, which saw them go viral during lockdown.
In what they declared their “favourite gig in Nottingham ever,” Deco then powered through some tracks from their ‘Nice Car’ EP, which Max explained felt like a turning point for the band. This portion of the set included ‘Everybody Wants to Be Somebody Else’, which featured a brilliant saxophone solo by Lucy, and the EP’s title track ‘Nice Car’.
However, the night was far from over. The band returned for an encore, starting with ‘If I Could Fall in Love’, but it was the next two tracks, ‘Photograph’ and ‘Rain’, that delivered the biggest emotional punch. Max came into the crowd during ‘Photograph’, while Lucy followed suit during ‘Rain’, making the audience feel even more connected to the performance.
The gig concluded with huge applause from the crowd, and Max, clearly moved, admitted that he needed to take a moment to soak it all in. The band took a final bow together, capping off a night that felt nothing short of special. As it all ended, Deco hinted at even bigger things to come. “Maybe we’ll see you at Rock City – but we might have to do a few more here first,” Max said, suggesting their ambitions are only growing.
With performances as tight and engaging as this, it’s undeniable that they’re one of the best live bands around. The set never dragged and the crowd left the venue already looking forward to the next chapter in Deco’s journey.
Photos: Gemma Cockrell
