Live Report: sombr delivers a set full of surprises at Electric Picnic

The arrival of sombr to Electric Picnic is not the one you’d typically expect from a pop artist- heavy drums and bluesy riffs roll over the crowd as the screens show a gleaming vintage Mercedes pulling up backstage.

The New Yorker bursts from the backseat, adorned in a gleaming black and gold marching band jacket, wielding a bow and arrow (a toy one, to the relief of everyone within range).

Beginning the theatrics before he even makes it onstage, he aims for a can, misses, deciding to throw the bow at it instead before running onstage to a roar of approval from his fans. The first unsurprising thing from the set is that they are not too concerned with the rules of archery.

This sequence of events make it feel more like the arrival of a cage fighter than that of a singer, but as he launches into his set this illusion is dispelled by his effortless vocals. The flair for the dramatic is still there, channelled now into the music instead.

The 21-year-old’s animated arrival has transfixed the audience, who eagerly listen to his every suggestion. He demands they jump, and as far back as the ferris wheel they happily comply.

His music makes for a good concert- songs like ‘Homewrecker’, and ’Back to Friends’ benefit from infectiously catchy choruses, while the live aspect gives them a bit more punch.

Soaring above all else however are his perfect vocals. To sound so clean and similar to the recordings when faced with a crowd of this size is a credit to his ability.

It’s a talent that is only really demonstrated when he welcomes Noel and Mike Hogan from The Cranberries onstage. Though it’s a different sounding one to Dolores, he delivers a fitting tribute with his version of ‘Zombie’.

It’s a popular choice. If people weren’t singing along before, they are now. Though on average it’s a younger crowd, the enduring appeal of the song is apparent from their knowledge of the lyrics, and enthusiastic delivery.

If you’re seeing sombr live, you had best throw any presumptions about what to expect from him out the window.