June 21st, 2025 – a date that will go down in Sheffield weather history as the hottest day of the year so far… and quite possibly the sweatiest gig we’ve ever played. But when it’s Emma’s 50th and the venue is the Niagara Conference Centre, you crank up the amps (and the fans), wipe the sweat off your fretboard, and make it a night to remember.
The birthday girl, Emma, threw one hell of a party – and we were honoured to provide the soundtrack to her milestone celebration. From the moment Ben launched into Song 2 with a mighty “WOO-HOO!”, we knew we were in for a scorcher – both temperature and vibe-wise.
Adam melted faces on lead guitar (though that could’ve just been the heat), Andy held down the beat like his life depended on it (which, at times, it did – have you ever seen a drummer try to hydrate between Park Life and Somebody Told Me?). I held down the low end on bass – the unsung hero, as always.
Our first set was a nostalgia-soaked sprint through 90s Britpop and early 00s indie anthems – from the snarl of Teenage Dirtbag to the singalong chaos of Roll With It and Mardy Bum.
After a quick break (and several pints of water), we dived into set two – a wall-to-wall dancefloor filler. Take Me Out got feet moving, Valerie kept them there, and by the time we hit Sex on Fire, the room was positively volcanic. Not from the song, but because the aircon had long given up.
Emma was front and centre all night – dancing, singing, and proving that turning 50 just means you’ve had more years to perfect your moves. Respect.
We wrapped things up with Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Seven Nation Army, complete with the obligatory “Ohhhhhhhh-ohhh!” chant. Job done.
Massive thanks to Emma, her friends and family, and the amazing staff at the Niagara Centre. Read Emma’s Google review.
