This is a show I have been eagerly waiting for since its announcement. I became a bit of a super fan of Deaf Havana a couple of years back, which coincidentally started when I saw them at the very venue I am seeing them at tonight, supporting You Me At Six.
Deaf Havana
Nick Rayns LCR, Norwich – 4 November 2026
Words And Photography: Lawrence Potter
Deaf Havana have unintentionally become the soundtrack to my life and got me through some tough times, I must admit, so seeing them at this headline show was something special.
Unfortunately, due to some conflicting start times on our tickets, we missed the majority of the opening act, The Dangerous Summer. I was absolutely gutted as they are similar to Deaf Havana, and were playing one of their full albums, Reach For The Sun, in full as well.
Around 8:15, a group of photographers appeared from what seemed thin air, and we all made our way to the pit. Excited is not even the word at this point as the band made their way to the stage and began with The Past Six Years, the opening track from the album Fools And Worthless Liars.
The sound is always mixed incredibly well at the Nick Rayns LCR, which really brings the performance to life.
It is a near-immaculate recreation on stage of the album. Being able to hear all these songs the band leave out of their more recent sets, due to a fair few albums that have been released, was a treat.
Deaf Havana are as tight a unit as ever with this current lineup, which is a testament to the new bassist and drummer who joined way after these songs were released fifteen years ago. James Veck-Gilodi’s voice sounded as great as ever, especially considering how demanding a lot of these tracks are on the vocals.
And having his brother Matthew backing him on vocals and lead guitar makes this one of the best versions of this band we have seen.
As the last song from the album Fifty Four, finishes, the band let us know there is still more to come as the nostalgia train keeps on rolling. Next up is Everybody’s Dancing And I Want To Die, which leads into Fever, 22 and a breathtaking version of Caro Padre.
The band leave briefly and give us the biggest surprise of the evening.
Original vocalist, Ryan Mellor raced to the stage and returned to the band with yet another blast from the past, Friends Like These. This was an absolutely heartwarming moment for the band and all the fans that have been there since day one. Ryan last performed with the band in 2011.
Deaf Havana began their journey in Norfolk in 2005, so a lot of their friends were in attendance for this show, which just added to the occasion.
The band end on Smiles All Around and finally cap the night off with Happiness. What an evening and what a band.
