One of the things I love about concert photography is watching bands develop and grow over time. Seeing the contrast from those first nervy performances when bands dip their toe in performing live to the confident hall filling performances. Run Toto Run might not be filling the big venues yet but based on tonight’s performance it’s just a matter of time.

I first heard Run Toto Run a couple of years ago at In The City 2008.   Back then they were an acoustic/electro combo and had already played Glastonbury (only their third gig), Huw Stephens was singing their praises and they were getting playlisted on Radio 1, 6 Music and XFM, not to mention local radio up and down the country.  Their cover of Sleepyhead by Passion Pit fuelled speculation that their rise was going to be spectacularly quick

Run Toto Run – Sleepyhead (Passion Pit Cover) by run_toto_run

It didn’t quite work out that way and despite early promise they didn’t immediately break through to the mainstream although they have supported a number of bigger acts including The Noisettes and Ellie Goulding.  Based on tonight’s opening for They Have Band they haven’t wasted the the last two years however and now a trio, they have refined their sound to produce a much tighter edgier electro pop sound.  With a single due out in January and an EP to follow Rachael Kichenside, Mike Kelly and Matt “Kid” Farthing have surely got great things ahead in 2011.

Did You Hear That? by run_toto_run

BANDS: Run Toto Run – Images by mike gatiss