The Northern Irish band
brings unique, authentic worship to
Virginia in a memorable way
2/19/26
Jefferson Center - Roanoke, VA
By Cody Cooksey
Psalm 149:3
When David wrote “Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.” (Psalm 149:3, NKJV) Rend Collective understood and took that to the next level. The Jefferson Center in Roanoke, Virginia was treated to a night of full, authentic worship in such a unique way. The amount of praises sung, alongside dancing and celtic aesthetics, made this a night dedicated to God in a way unheard of in live music.
The night began with the familiar opening act Eli Gable providing songs of his roots and the Lord’s will, with a sound familiar to that of NEEDTOBREATHE. We had the opportunity to sit and chat with him during Rend Collective’s set, you can read that interview here. Eli instantly won the crowd over with his humor and authentic personality, as well as his ranging country vocals. After a brief intermission (as well as Eli Gable humorously convincing the audience to buy his merch), the band took to the stage and began their set with a bang.
Rend Collective was formed in Bangor, Northern Ireland, and they make that clear in all of the best ways. Having started out as a Bible study, the band used that to their advantage and was able to tell stories of faith, hardships, and perseverance through their music, all of which seemingly roots to their simple beginnings. There was so much dancing both on and off stage, as the crowd joined in quickly. Fight Of My Life was a highlight of the evening as that is a recent hit that the audience was happy to hear. The band, consisting of Chris Llewellyn, Stephen Mitchell, Jonathan Chu, Daniel Jones, and Wil Pearce had a chemistry unmatched, as it was like watching brothers with the strongest, unbreakable bond cover every inch of the stage with their dancing and instrumentals. Many of their well known songs, such as Counting Every Blessing and My Lighthouse, were sung word for word by the audience, making the performance even more interactive. The band was full of love and conveyed that message thoroughly.
Lead vocalist Chris Llewellyn was humble and grateful for the platform and opportunity to sing praise in this setting. He offered many kind and necessary truths throughout the night, stating “when we say “Thy Kingdom Come”, we’re saying “my kingdom go””, and “we’re not part of this world’s politics at all, we’re part of the Kingdom’s”, which felt like such needed reminders. When words like this are said, it is made clear that there is a message that needs to be shared, and I am thankful to have heard it during a night of worship from a band like Rend Collective. The band gave an encore and finished with simplistic, classic worship songs, pointing it all back to God above. They showed their gratitude to Eli Gable, as well as World Vision for taking part in the night. This show proved that worship can be done in a variety of ways, paving the way for believers new and old to sing of His Love forever.
