SPORTS TEAM
I left the Waterfront with my ears buzzing
Mark Stimpson
Kissing People, a three-piece from Liverpool, kicked the night off with some dreamy indie pop and had some absolutely tight harmonies. Every song is currently unreleased as they're a pretty new band! They've already played Manchester's Albert Hall and the Roundhouse as a support for Supergrass, so they've already had a taste of the big stages. It'll be exciting to see what their first release will be and what will follow after...
Gretel's latest single, Maybelline, is already breaking 6 Music's C List and they delivered a set that was a mix of Wolf Alice's vocals, The Last Dinner Party's baroque charm and Smashing Pumpkins' moody grunge. They were a last minute cover for Brògeal as a support but were just as good.
Sports Team were of course, stunning. It was a brilliant setlist with a perfect mix of old and new - The Game from Gulp! opened up the set, bringing the energy from the get go, while Long Hot Summer and Kutcher from their first album, Deep Down Happy, were pleasant surprises to hear. Set closer Maybe When We're Thirty is still the calmest song they've ever written, and a bit unexpected with how high energy the whole set was, but maybe it was just me thinking that! Moshing was a current throughout the gig, and though I did get pushed a few times, I didn't let it stop me from having a good time. I'm just glad the youth of today can enjoy a concert, jump about, and not need to film the whole thing...
There was enough witty crowd interaction from frontman Alex Rice to keep you sated, which led to a human pyramid forming by the time they started playing Camel Crew. I'd never seen the security so overworked before. It was rowdy, sweaty and loud - exactly what I expected from my third time seeing the band live. I left the Waterfront with my ears buzzing and my jumper over my head to brace the rain on the walk home. What a night.
