Villanelle, the band fronted by Gene Gallagher, made their Leeds Festival debut on Saturday, drawing hundreds of fans into a packed tent for an 'electric' performance. The quartet—comprising Gene Gallagher, Jack Schiavo, Ben Taylor, and Bleu Otis—took to The Canopy stage to perform tracks from their debut EP, Measly Means, as well as unreleased music, leaving fans ecstatic.
A Name Carved in Grunge
For those inside the tent, it was clear that Gene is carving a name for himself, drawing inspiration from the likes of Nirvana. Despite it being their first time at Leeds Festival, the band showed no nerves, instantly feeding off the crowd's energy, which was described as 'electric'. The London-based group performed tracks such as Placebo, which quickly became a fan favourite among those packed into the tent.
A source told the Mirror: "The band had a big crowd at The Canopy Stage as they performed their new music from their Measly Means EP. Gene might be the son of Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton but he's really carving a name for himself."
Inspiration and Energy
Villanelle's music takes inspiration from 90s grunge, and the source noted that Gene "means business." They added: "Some might say he's a nepo-baby but it's evident that by not going under his own name, he's trying - and succeeding. There are a few people in Oasis merch, who are obviously fans of Gene's dad but wanting to give him support. The band performed an unreleased song and the energy in the tent instantly became electric."
Frontman Gene's musical path differs from his parents' routes, as he makes his own presence known with striking vocals and recognisable looks, transporting listeners back to the heyday of Nineties grunge and alternative rock.
US Tour and Upcoming Shows
The UK performances follow a tour across the States, which Gene described as a "fantastic experience." Speaking previously to the Mirror, he said: "Touring the US has been a fantastic experience. America is such a vast place to tour, so you get to experience so many different types of places that bring so many different types of energy - that makes playing shows even more exciting. It's also a great way to test out some of the new material we've been working on recently, and that's always inspiring."
Just over two months after the release of their debut EP, Measly Means, the group shared their approach to set lists for festival performances. Ben commented: "There's always a different approach to the set list depending on the type of show we're playing. For something like Reading and Leeds, we'll have a set that's full of energy - that's what we always want to bring."
Fans across the UK can catch Villanelle on tour again in November for their biggest headline shows to date, with performances in Glasgow, Manchester, and London's Scala.
