Just over a month ago Jenny Lawton to Manchester to see pop-punk band State Champs on their UK tour. She happily reviewed the gig for us here at URY and this is what she had to say.
State Champs, based in Albany, New York, have been considered a staple of the modern pop-punk scene for a while now. Their fast-paced sound is based on the influence of early Fall Out Boy and New Found Glory, re-vamped by frontman Derek DiScanio’s impressive vocal range, showcased perfectly on the band’s first full-length album — 2013’s The Finer Things. The success of this wildly catchy, fiercely energetic record was magnified tenfold by the release of Around The World And Back in 2015, considered by many to be their breakout album. After three years of heavy touring around the world, summer 2018 brought the much-anticipated arrival of a third LP, Living Proof; an album chock-full of dynamic and uplifting tracks with soaring choruses that express the capacity to translate into an unforgettable live performance. It is, therefore, no surprise that autumn 2018 brought an extensive UK/Europe tour for the quintet, one that I secured my ticket to the Manchester date (October 26th) as far in advance as July.
Considering that this is arguably the band that got me hooked on pop-punk, I had the bar set high for State Champs to deliver a standout live execution of the new album. Support came from newcomers to the scene, Woes, Stand Atlantic, an up-and-coming Australian trio who released their debut full-length Skinny Dipping on the day of the gig, and Seaway, a band that released Colour Blind in 2015 and have been on my bucket list to see ever since. The line-up was ram packed with talent and I looked forward to having my expectations met and hopefully succeeded.
State Champs’ ever-increasing success and growing fan-base have allowed the band to expand their venue capacities to new heights, including a milestone gig at London’s Roundhouse in Camden. I was intrigued by their newly found success and was curious to see how the larger sized venues would play out for them, seeing as a highlight of their performances was the sweaty, compact environment of their smaller crowded gigs. Although I needn’t have worried as Manchester Academy perfectly captured the atmosphere, with this extent met by the misfortune of temporarily losing my ID and bank card due to the intense and ferociously of the crowd. But thankfully by belongings were kindly returned to me by the end of the event.
Arriving an hour after doors opened, with no thankyous being given to my 5 pm seminar, I missed the majority of Woes’s set. Although it is clear their performance lacked polish, with unreliable sound resulting in guitar instrumentals at times bordering on sloppy, but they do their best to cultivate the energy for the evening. The second act of the evening was Stand Atlantic, who used their half an hour slot to showcase their established material while introducing tracks from the freshly-released record. They opened with the punchy and infectious ‘Lavender Bones’, stirring the crowd into action.
Energy built as the set continued and reached title track ‘Skinny Dipping’ for the new album which allowed the crowd to get into the full swing of mosh pits and crowd surfing. Lead-singer Bonnie Fraser’s clean-cut vocal delivery ensured the engaging and relatable lyrics were felt by the whole crowd. Stand Atlantic finished with ‘Coffee at Midnight’ which brought to a close a blazing and memorable performance from a band that looks set to enjoy a rapid upwards trajectory.
Seaway followed and brought a savvier stage presence than the previous, less-experienced bands and with many in the crowd (myself included) having been drawn to the gig as much by them as the headliners, a palpable excitement begins to spread. They launched their high-spirited set with the vivid ‘Best Mistake’ from Colour Blind, the album that established their appeal on the pop-punk scene. From here the focus very much shifted towards Vacation, their latest and most refined offering that still packed all of the punch. Tracks like ‘Something Wonderful’, ‘Apartment’ and ‘London’ had most of the crowd singing along and moving about as enthusiastically as lead vocalist Ryan Locke, who ricocheted around the stage for the entire set. The Canadian band closed with ‘Lula on the Beach’, a song that delivers a heavy dose of pop-rock whilst utilising the dual vocals of Locke and guitarist Patrick Carleton. It leaves the crowd thoroughly energized and ready for the main event.
We did not have long to wait, as State Champs soon roar onto the stage in an electric entrance that was embellished with flashing lights and, get this, pyrotechnics. The crowd reacted accordingly with manic cheering and deafening applause as the band kicked off the mammoth 20-song set with ‘Criminal’; whirling drums and buoyant guitars sent everyone into an immediate frenzy. The next ten songs, made up of old and new alike, continue with such a surreal energy. The beloved and powerful ‘Shape Up’ featured, lyrically-relatable ‘Crystal Ball’, as well as old favourites ‘Remedy’ and ‘Perfect Score’. By this point, a well-earned breather is necessary the form of the poetic, acoustic track ‘If I’m Lucky’. ‘Our Time to Go’ from Living Proof is used to transition seamlessly back into an exuberant final half.
Crashing into ‘All You Are is History’ ensured the tide of crowd-surfers is well and truly revived; they don’t cease until final song ‘Dead and Gone’, during which the crowd pipe up to the extent that DiScanio may as well have sat it out, proving the new music has hit home with the fan base. The evening is far from over, however, with State Champs having a considerable surprise up their sleeve.
Upon returning to the stage for the encore, it becomes clear that it isn’t State Champs but in fact fellow pop-punk icons Neck Deep, commandeering the stage to catapult into the forceful ‘Where Do We Go When We Go’. It’s safe to say the crowd goes nuts. The reins are handed back to State Champs for their final gifts of the night; two of their most popular songs ‘Elevated’ and ‘Secrets’, ensuring that incredible and unwavering energy holds until the very last note. You would be forgiven for skipping the next few gym sessions after that intensive work out of a gig.
Expectations? Truly and utterly exceeded.
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