By Jenny Dean
Images by Kieran Whitfield @k.visuals.w
Thursday night gigs are still thriving, as proved by Overpass when they near sold out Independent for the Sunderland date of their Autumn 2025 tour. Their whopping hour and fifteen minute set was a long stretch, especially after two support acts preceding them, but fans were undeterred from giving 110% energy to one of Birmingham’s biggest emerging bands.
From the get-go, the atmosphere in the venue was buzzing, with fans flocking straight to the merch table, then heading to secure their spot at the front and settling in with their signature Inde-P blue pints. Manchester band Florentenes opened up the show, delivering an incredibly impressive performance; made more significant by the fact that the band are so young and have only been gigging for a couple of years. This is definitely a band to watch – they’ve managed to rack up a sizeable following already and got the crowd well and truly warmed up.
The North was next up, heading up from Leeds and fresh off the release of their debut
EP ‘Blood Orange’ in May. The band have been gigging non-stop this year, and they definitely earned some new fans from their set. The EP title track was a stand out tune, with driven guitars and moody vocal tone, they know how to set a vibe.
By now, the audience was well and truly ready for the headliners. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd at Independent so hyped for a band before, and speaking to a few people before Overpass went on, there are some big fans in Sunderland and beyond, with some attendees travelling from Newcastle, Teesside, and even further afield.
Having supported bands like Wunderhorse and The Wombats, Overpass are well accustomed to big crowds and maxed out venues. The band was extremely tight and had a strong rapport, and since their tunes varied significantly from each other, it was important to be able to keep up with the constant changes.
Their newest EP ‘Dependent’ was a focal point of the night, a real crowd pleaser, with the audience singing and shouting along to the new tunes.
The stand out for me was one of their slower songs, aptly named ‘Slow’. It reminded me of early Coldplay and was ideal for sitting back, taking it all in, and just appreciating live music as a whole.
I have to say, this line up worked very well together, with some matching influences evident, but each with their own distinct sound.
Overpass’ return to Sunderland after a couple of years was a night to remember, and in my opinion, if they come back in another couple of years, tickets will sell out fast.
