By Alexandra Pullen
Photo Credit: @tallulahjne / @sunday1994forever (Instagram)
Sunday (1994) have been on my radar for a while now. Last October, a friend of mine recommended them to me, but, in all honesty, I never got around to delving into their discography. Just a few months ago, I was with the same friend at Leeds Festival when we bumped into the band outside the press tent. I saw her eyes light up, and I was equally stunned by the beautifully elegant white dress the lead singer, Paige Turner, was wearing. Alongside her, guitarist Lee Newell and drummer Puma also rocked black-and-white get-ups, with Newell repping the band’s merch, which made them radiate a sleek but almost Gothic image.
The three of them were such kind and genuine individuals, so while on my way to Gorilla in Manchester, I couldn’t wait to see their performance. For the opening show of their UK tour, Turner and Newell graced the stage and were joined by Christine, from New Jersey, on bass guitar and Jordi, from Monrovia, on drums. Joining the queue as it was winding round onto Whitworth Street West, fans of the band were dressed for the occasion, with one in front of me rocking a stunning lace veil with a full-length black dress. My friend had described Sunday (1994)’s music as “cinematic”, and this was the perfect word to sum up the night.
Before the headliner though, energy levels were set high by the terrific support act Girl Tones. With Kenzie on vocals and guitar, and Laila on drums, the sibling duo from Kentucky delivered some lively punk tunes to the stage with a vivacious presence from start to finish. From the moment they stepped onto the stage and grabbed their instruments, Kenzie started a chant and demanded “don’t be sleepy!”
The pair had been in the city in February, just across the road from Gorilla, with a support slot on Cage the Elephant’s tour at the O2 Ritz. Some renditions included their songs Blame and Burn Out, but the true charm of this pair came from their interactions with the audience. Upon the surface, it took a while for this Mancunian crowd to warm to the duo, but their admiration of the city provoked some woops and some head bobbing.
“Y’all love some KFC. It’s a little piece of home for us, but we don’t like it”, Kenzie quipped. They shared their loving nickname of their hometown Scottsville (Scottsvegas), and also expressed a love towards Afflecks Palace: “Four floors of local businesses – that’s such a cool thing!” Towards the end of their set, Kenzie got the atmosphere going: “clap or the song is over!” and it proved an effective method as the 550-capacity venue certainly did as they were told. She ended by jumping down from the stage into the crowd and playing a guitar solo. These two sisters have such an infectious energy on stage and are definitely an act to look out for.
If there’s one thing about a music venue in Manchester, it’s that there will always be a cracking pre-show playlist. This night, Gorilla was on top form with the likes of Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division, How Soon Is Now by The Smiths, Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins and Starburster by Fontaines D.C. It was as if someone had put on one of my playlists, and it certainly set the night up to be a good one.
But as the lights began to fade, a somewhat eerie feeling engulfed the room as a quote from Stephen King’s Carrie boomed through the speakers, signalling the start of Sunday (1994)’s set. They began with a favourite of mine, Our Troubles, from their debut self-titled album. It is possibly one of their heaviest and most emotional songs about a specifically difficult time for Newell: upon singing about his experiences, Turner shared to Dork “it was like playing a character”.
Once again, Newell was decked out in the band’s merchandise, while Turner wore a full-length black dress which was a topic of conversation later in the night. Softly, Doomsday and Devotion followed, the latter two featuring on the band’s most recent release, a six-track EP named Devotion. This show in Manchester was the first of their UK headline tour and Gorilla saw a varied crowd of all ages show up to support the band in their captivating and dreamy performance. Turner and Newell expressed their love for the country, having been here three times already this year for festivals including Neighbourhood Weekender and Reading & Leeds.
To have an entire room singing along with a bridge consisting of the repeated line “my head is in the oven (oh my head, oh my head, oh my head)” takes some going, but Sunday (1994)’s cult following led to exactly that, with the singalong to TV Car Chase. Newell continued to show his affection towards the crowd: “oh Manchester, I love you…You guys are very nice!”
Two fan favourites, Blonde and Stained Glass Window, displayed the ethereal nature of Turner’s flawless vocals and were filled with ‘90s-infused, dream-pop guitar riffs. Stained Glass Window has a rather “bleak” story in the words of the band, and pairs perfectly as a predecessor to Silver Ford, as both draw on religious imagery in discussion of love as a sin but also an escape.
Turner comically addressed the city, “Manchesty! I’m feeling quite Manchesty in my high neck black dress tonight!” She was met with a laugh from the crowd, before moving on to The Loneliness of the Long Flight Home, and a song with a title which fits the city quite well – Rain. Accompanied by a background of rain noises and a sea of phone flashlights, this was certainly a highlight of the entire gig, though the ambience did continue into the next song, Mascara. Sirens to start, and an extra wave from the smoke machine, ensured an extremely cinematic moment before the band took turns introducing each other.
First though, Sunday (1994) took another chance to address their fans and the city as a whole, sharing “[we have] been very excited to finally play Manchester. Your fine city has influenced us somewhat.” They continued with some excellent introductions, first of all for Christine and Jordi, then Lee introduced Paige as the one “singing us awake, wearing black for the first time ever!” Paige returned the favour to the guitarist, who went on to share that he was from the “gorgeous town of Slough”, provoking a loud cheer and laugh from concertgoers. The pair couldn’t be more polar-opposite in this sense, as Turner comes from L.A; Turner took this all in jest though, giving Manchester more of an ego-boost, joking “Manchester has Joy Division, The Smiths, Oasis. What does Slough have?”
As we got closer to the end of the night, it became more evident to me how incredible Sunday (1994)’s journey has been into the industry. They released their first song in February of last year, and here they were on the opening night of their headline tour following a summer of festivals. The pair described it as “a dream for people to understand our humour and our pain”, which perfectly illustrates the appeal towards the band. Sunday (1994)’s music celebrates and highlights the beauty in pain, and how difficult times can bring people together.
After Still Blue and Picking Flowers, the band departed the stage in a shocking turn of events – even to them! Upon reappearing a couple of minutes later, Newell approached the microphone with a surprised demeanour and stated “An encore? Us? Although… I didn’t actually hear you shouting “encore”!” This, of course, led to a huge shouting chorus of the word. They went on to perform Blossom and their biggest song to date, Tired Boy. In the final moments of the show, Turner held up a huge placard reading “I wish I was more like you” (a line from Tired Boy) before the four performers came together for a final bow.
The opening night of Sunday (1994)’s tour at Gorilla was a true testament to their hard work over the past year and a love letter to fans. Turner and Newell hold themselves with grace, and flawlessly deliver renditions of all their released music so far. Having been in the industry, and working together, for over 10 years, the duo are seriously unstoppable. It was a true honour to see them flourish on stage and I cannot wait to see where their music takes them next.
Photography Copyright 2025 © to its rightful owners, as credited in this article.
Text Copyright 2025 © Alexandra Pullen/ADRENALINE Magazine.
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