Source: Jemma Dodd
It’s unseasonably warm for a Friday in March. Hordes of teenagers in sunglasses, shorts, and customized denim jackets are waiting impatiently in front of Sheffield’s O2 Academy for All Time Low.
The band have the almost supernatural ability to gather a crowd wherever they go. This show, of course, is no different, and the mile-long line might explain why Sheffield was the first date on the tour to sell out. Fans here have been waiting years for them to return to the city. But now with a massive discography and flashy stage sets, All Time Low are a far cry from who they were in 2012.
Source: Jemma Dodd
Houston’s Waterparks have been making waves internationally since their debut album, Double Dare, dropped in November 2016. They’re no strangers to warming up crowds, having toured in support of Sleeping With Sirens and Good Charlotte in the last six months.
The band break in the show with ‘Made in America’, giving a whirlwind introduction to their unique brand of neon pop-rock. They rattle through ‘Crave’, ‘Stupid For You’, and ‘Mad All The Time‘, throw around some insults, dedicate a track to the dads in the back, and then they’re off.
Source: Jemma Dodd
SWMRS couldn’t be more different. The band, from California, are pure, unadulterated rock ’n roll. The band formed in 2004 as The Raining Souls, before becoming The Clocks, Emily’s Army, and finally settling on SWMRS ten years later.
Their show is just as eclectic. SWMRS speed through eight tracks from their 2016 album Drive North, including a regrettably catchy ode to Miley Cyrus. Apparently, Miley is, in fact, a punk rock queen.
SWMRS finish up with ‘Figuring It Out’, throw around their guitars, and then it’s time for the main event.
All Time Low’s show has come a long way and nowhere at all in entirely equal measures. The band take to the stage with ‘Kicking & Screaming’, backlit by colour-changing lights and an impressive drum riser.
Source: Jemma Dodd
They know exactly what it is their fans want to hear, moving through fan-favourites ‘Weightless’, ‘Somewhere in Neverland’ and ‘Six Feet Under the Stars’ in quick succession. By this point, guitarist Jack Barakat has already embellished his mic stand with a few bras, made some inappropriate jokes, and fallen over on stage.
But despite their usual gimmicks, All Time Low have clearly spent a lot of time finessing the finer details. They’ve even added another guitarist to the live band in what could be an effort to finally balance Barakat’s eccentrics.
Fortunately, frontman Alex Gaskarth is the king of engaging a crowd. Through ‘Dirty Laundry’, ‘Therapy’ and ‘Missing You’ he commands the stage alone, kneeling on the side of the stage to catch the eye of his delighted fans.
But too soon, the show closes in their typical way: the crowd holding up Barakat and Gaskarth as they finish up ‘Dear Maria, Count Me In’.
All Time Low are entertainers at heart. They’ve been performing variations of the exact same show since they first appeared in the UK. To some, this might seem grueling and static, but for their fans, it’s the very reason they keep coming back.
