Junk - The Samuel worth Chapel - 16/10/25
Junk at The Samuel Worth Chapel, 16/10/25.
As a committed long term Junk supporter who has attended a variety of their gigs in the past, I can confidently say that they’ve never put on a show quite like the one at Sheffield’s Samuel Worth Chapel on the 16th of October. The concert was organised to help raise money for the Sheffield General Cemetery and the preservation of its serene natural setting, within which the chapel is located, so not only did I get to experience an amazing gig but I also get to flex my truly selfless generosity; win-win.
I made sure to get down early so not to miss the support bands whom I’d heard good things about; though not early enough as walking through a wooded cemetery in pitch-black darkness in mid-October made me question the cause for which I was raising money (I’m joking of course, I’m sure it’s far less scary in the day time). It was Worth it once I found the chapel though as the vibes were immaculate with assortments of candles at the base of each of its grand Victorian windows that were cast in atmospheric purple light - and a very welcoming bar in the corner serving some Abbeydale favourites.
The mood was perfect for the opening band, Meraki; a harp and cello duo who employed loops, delays and rich reverbs to create some really unique, original instrumental music that captivated the audience. I was already impressed by the thick, coherent layering and delicate composition of their first piece so when harpist Phoebe told us that their entire set was improvised upon nothing but an agreed key signature it gave me even more respect for their talent. Recognising this process made the whole performance feel like a very present and intimate experience as the music perfectly matched the atmosphere of the room.
These were big shoes to fill for Nottingham based alternative folk-rock group Pict who were next up (spoiler alert: they filled the shoes). Equipped with guitars, drums, trumpet and lots of vocal harmonies, Pict displayed a lot of personality through their catchy, melodic tunes and heartfelt performance. Their folky persuasion leant itself to the intimacy of the venue and the raw, stripped-back persona of their music, akin to bands like Tapir! or Friko, with moments of bluesy/country twang for good measure. Each song topped the last with every member of the band keeping up a consistent level of energy throughout.
Junk at The Samuel Worth Chapel, 16/10/25.
Already, the night was unforgettable and Sheffield’s best up-and-coming band hadn’t even performed yet. Junk opened their set with a cover of Neil Young’s ‘Harvest Moon’, featuring a very interesting addition of flute that paired well with their ethereal aesthetic that was embedded into their refreshing take of the song. It wasn’t long before they got into the modern classics and familiar favourites such as ‘Common Cold’ and ‘Whatever You Want’, each off their two increasingly popular EP’s; phishing and junkmail respectively. Despite the venue’s more basic stage setup and front-of-house system, the songs didn’t fail to live up to high standards of their studio recordings, with each members’ performance so tight yet so fluid. Beyond their two EPs worth of recorded repertoire, Junk still worked a good few unreleased songs into their set, smugly telling us that they’ve always got another trick up their sleeve. One of these being an honourable arrangement of a song that was originally written by a family friend of lead singer and bassist Evelyn which not only sounded great with the return of flautist Acina but it also felt extremely special having it shared with us. The back end of their set saw the band sweep through heavy hitter after heavy hitter, with infectious Junk staple ‘Trousers’ as well as BBC Introducing’s favourite, ‘Pig’, for which Evelyn and guitarist Leo sing in harmonious duet over powerful shoegaze instrumentals, all before ‘Lighthouse’s’ unapologetic, raw energy closed the show, a climactic ending to a one-of-a-kind night.
The sheer level of talent that was displayed by all involved was enough to make any attending musician doubt their own musical abilities, myself included, and was a clear indication of what the local up-and-coming artists are capable of. And with excellent, unique, caring venues like the Samuel Worth Chapel, the future of the Sheffield music scene is looking as bright as ever.