Concert Review: Tender Ignite Couple’s Tenderness At Rough Trade

Tender really do live up to their name. Their music wraps audiences, and made people dance as if Animal Planet was filming. As a human being, it’s hard not to watch couples PDA because if you want to publicly display then people will publicly watch. (lol!) Yet, to their audience, Tender was a band that showed intimacy and feeling sexy, for your partner, is something that is earned. 

At times, in relationships, we can be with someone for so long that we forget to keep earning and elevating the wealth of their love. Somewhere, along the lines, we feel entitled to have their affection without questioning if we, ourselves, are giving and seducing affection from them. For a lot of the couples at Tender, their music was like making a move. Tracks such as, “Slow Love,” “Handmade Ego,” and “Fear of Falling Asleep” felt like the games and hints you give to your partner that you are still attracted to them. This may not seem important, but for the crowd of couples it was, and, for me, it was sweet, especially because their song speak a lot about having individual fears while igniting couples to be fearless. Moreover, seeing everyday people try to have a magical night feels rare because, usually, falling in love is portrayed as something only gorgeous people do on the CW or an MTV reality show. 

From “Closer Still” to “Bottled Up,” James Cullen’s voice feels light, sweet, and practically fluffs lyrics like marshmallows. I know that is a unique comparison, but he simply bites into notes as if they are soft and saccharine. Then, he goes into his regular, British voice to talk about his frustrations with the audio. Still, no sonic issue could deter the Tender mood. Hence, they are not a chatty group; preferring to scale through their songs like a live soundtrack. They are aware that their music really is about you and whomever you are with. Thus, their little interruptions furthers their concert’s atmosphere of slow-burning love and lust in the form of electro-pop. For More Information On Tender Click Here.