Facebook post by Network

The Lilacs are playing main stage at Tha Knows Festival September 9th at Network Sheffield Northern lads The Lilacs are a high-energy indie band from Wigan. In just a few years, the band has already started to make a real name for themselves up and down the country, having played sets at iconic venues such as Manchester’s Albert Hall, various O2 Academy venues, and even found themselves on the bill at the mighty Isle of Wight Festival in 2021. The lads have accumulated over half a million streams worldwide, catching the ‘ear’ of various well-known radio stations such as XS Manchester. Their debut single Vicarage Road has found its way onto over 5,000 playlists and has become one of the band’s most recognised tunes with upwards of 200,000 streams on Spotify alone. I bet you’re all wondering how it all started? Having formed a strong friendship in a previous band, Ollie Anglesea (Singer) and Sam Birchall (lead Guitar) quickly developed the appetite to create a legacy of their own. After tireless months of long rehearsals and endless train fares, the band became complete when additions Dave Gomersall (Drums) and Matt Johnson (Bass Guitar) were made in October of 2018. With the line-up complete and tunes up their sleeves, the next thing on the agenda was to name the band. It was clear from the off this wasn’t going to be easy, with numerous suggestions being cast aside. It quickly became apparent it needed to have some meaning behind it. Unfortunately earlier that year, Sam lost his mum in a battle with secondary breast cancer. Having numerous visits for treatment at The Lilac Centre (a specialist cancer clinic), the lads felt this was a suggestion that couldn’t be overseen, and the ever-growing Lilacs were born. Kicking off their career with various local gigs in the North West, it quickly became common knowledge that the energetic four-piece from Wigan weren’t messing around, Quickly swapping mid-week supports for hometown headlines with numbers exceeding 500 plus. Having established a local audience in the North West of England, the next step was to branch out into the unknown. Taking the stage at London’s O2 Academy Islington in 2019, it seemed that the boys had a sound that would appeal to all ears nationwide. With the Covid break out in early 2020 and the temporary halt of gigs, The band took to a live video session to keep the crowd warm before returning to the stage of recent which has seen a surreal continued trend of gigs getting bigger and busier. With one of the returning gigs being Isle of Wight Festival 2021, normal services were resumed. After years and years of listening to indie bangers, it is clear to see where singer song-writer Ollie takes inspiration, with influences from bands such as Courteeners and Arctic Monkeys. Catchy riffs and feel-good melodies are typical features of The Lilacs’ unique sound. Often bringing the initial ideas, Ollie’s memorable lyrics quickly become instant bangers once the rest of the gang utilises their talents. The lads have already got a big year planned in 2022 which will see new releases, and major festival appearances including a return to Isle of Wight Festival and Y Not Festival, before heading back out on the road for their second headline tour later in the year. There is a real buzz starting to grow around The Lilacs, they are the ones to watch over the coming years. It’s clear to see they aren’t a band to be missed. The band keeps growing and growing with gigs getting louder and sweatier. Playing your favourite tunes from start to finish, you’re only going to want more!!!!