Seaway - O2 Academy 3, Birmingham 02.02.2017
Kicking off this show were Coast to Coast, a local Pop Punk band signed to Fox Records. I’d heard about them on the grapevine numerous times, but had never managed to catch them at a show. They did a great job of warming up the crowd ready for WSTR to take to the stage, and I thoroughly enjoyed their set. The whole band interacted with the crowd well, encouraging them to come nearer the stage and throwing themselves around in typical Pop Punk fashion. Their new EP “The Length Of A Smile” is being released next month and I can’t wait to give it a listen.
Next up were WSTR, who began by explaining that their singer Sammy was ill and so would not be singing the opening song. Thankfully, the lead singer of Trashboat just happened to be backstage, and took to the mic to perform. Overall, I enjoyed their set a lot more than I thought I would – although Sammy seemed rather quiet, this could well be due to him being sick, and their cover of 'Break Stuff' by Limp Biskit sent the crowd into a frenzy. I was really impressed that their drummer not only smashed an enthusiastic set for these guys, but also stayed on stage as the session drummer for the next band, The Gospel Youth.
I’ve been a big fan of these guys since they released their single 'Kids' in 2014, and was really excited to see them perform. Safe to say, they didn’t disappoint – although there was a mishap or two with the sound at the beginning, they soon got into the swing of it and delivered a knockout set much to the joy of everyone watching. Even better was when their singer announced that they would be drinking afterwards, and they spent the rest of the evening weaving through the crowd getting to know their fans.
Finally, Seaway took to the stage – it’s their fourth time in the UK, and their set was everything I could have asked for and more. The Canadian Rock group had the crowd dancing and jumping like no one’s business, so much so that I had to jump out of the way more than once to avoid crowd surfers from falling on both me and my camera. Less Rock and more Punk I feel, they delivered 45 minutes of perfection to a room of screaming, shouting fans – I couldn’t think of anywhere better to spend a night.
Seaway - https://www.facebook.com/seawayband/
The Gospel Youth - https://www.facebook.com/thegospelyouth/
Coast To Coast - https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsC2C/
Photos & Review - Sutcliffe Photography
