Easy Life at Alexandra Palace

You’ve probably never heard of them, but the eclectic young band from Somerset who open for Easy Life might be ones to watch in 2023. Sad Night Dynamite combines psychedelic hip-hop, trip-hop, electronic and grime to create a mix of chilled spoken word with more energetic crowd-pleasers designed to mosh to. Their set is simple but effective, with purple and blue lights dancing to the beat. The group’s lyrics are clever and melodic, sometimes touching on heavy subject matter in a relaxed, tranquil way, whilst others are more standard sex-based stories.

Next onto the stage are the night’s headliners: Easy Life. Despite the existential nature of some of the lyrics found in their 2022 album Maybe in Another Life, the five-member band is, well, easy to listen to. Their signature sound is calm, spoken word hip-hop/indie pop that you’d expect to find on an “evening chill” Spotify playlist. It’s background music perfect to drive, work, or get stoned to. That being said, Easy Life appears to have a dedicated fan base made up of Gen Zs and millennials who know all the lyrics and sing along with gusto. This isn’t music to jump or rave to, but it’s nice to have a sway and sip a beer to.

Having formed in Leicester in 2017, playing at Alexandra Palace in 2023 is this alternative boy band’s biggest show to date. Their set is straightforward but nicely designed, with psychedelic pink lights at one point, hazy reds and greens creating an aurora effect at another. The lit-up outlines of squares and rectangles are utilised to flash in and out, and screens on either side help those at the back or middle get a better look at the performers. The words “Easy Life” written in lights get involved, with the lit-up E and A pulsing in time. The lighting also adds to the atmosphere, throbbing with the music to help create a pretty, engaging but non-startling or overwhelming sensation.

The song OTT is sung meaningfully and creates a euphoric feeling that you want to repeat again and again, whilst BUGGIN gets the audience shouting “shut the fuck up” in a surprisingly friendly way. Skeletons is a fan favourite, which is effortless and exhilarating and makes you want to sing along. The musicians mix electronic sounds with traditional instruments in an interesting way, at one point even incorporating a jazzy vibe. Despite their laid-back sound, these guys have a lot of talent. This may be their biggest show yet, but the band members are down-to-earth and friendly, even performing a skit at one stage involving a telephone and someone asking to “bring the afters to yours”; at another, they give the audience instructions to talk to each other. 

Despite their easy-listening vibe, Easy Life at Alexandra Palace is an uplifting, catchy and memorable evening. The tone might be smooth rather than jagged, and the sound light rather than dark, but it creates an elated, dreamy feeling that you’ll want to bottle up and carry around.

Sophia Moss
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Easy Life’s website here.

Watch the video for the single OTT here: