On Sunday, Keo rocked the ‘Market Stage’ at Truck Festival, filling it with more people than we’ve ever seen before. This really reflected the pure energy and feeling of this set.

Photos by Sofia Ruocco

Words by Eve Smith

Before Keo had walked onto the stage, the ‘Market Stage’ was blasting tunes of ultimate 90s grunge rock: Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. This sets the mood; this brings out the grunge fans ready for the set. 

Judging from the reaction of the crowd when they walked out onto the stage, you would not think that this band started releasing music only last year. It was electric as they walked up to their respective instruments, getting ready to play. 

The band started by playing ‘Hands’, which is off their most recent EP ‘Siren’. It introduced cheers, dancing, and an energetic reaction from the crowd as the song started with a prominent guitar. Everyone started singing and swaying once lead singer Finn Keogh started singing the lyrics to the crowd.

Throughout the performance, they play hits such as ‘I lied, Amber’ and ‘That’s Me’. Their ultimate seller ‘Thorn’ also found its uniting place halfway through their set. The energy shifted when the band played ‘Thorn’, everyone swayed, pointed up and sang the lyrics of the song back to the band with raw emotion. It was a defining moment of their performance at Truck Festival for me; it felt special. 

The band had their name on a yellow background behind them, matching the colour of their new album, which is yet to be released. The yellow glowed from the stage across the tent, creating strobes of soft light above the crowd.

Keo ended their set by playing ‘Fly’ and ‘Black Dress’ before walking off the stage, and their performance was over. These two songs will feature on their album when it is released, so it felt fitting that they ended with these two songs, hinting at what more is to come from the band soon. 

The songwriting and the artistry of this band are to look out for, and I am sure they will return to Truck Festival again. Their performance was raw, emotional, passionate- it was a version of independent rock I feel the scene has not seen for a while. 

Photos by Sofia Ruocco