Bristol Academy has probably never seen a bigger queue than tonight. Sure, there have been sold out shows, but rarely do bands have such an effect on their teenage fans that they need to queue up hours before in the freezing cold (unless they’re One Direction). All Time Low are the reason for such a wild queue, and the fans are unbelievably excited.
First on tonight are Arizona’s The Summer Set, who fit the bill with a frontman who resembles a Disney prince and the most sugary sweet songs you’ve ever heard. The crowd absolutely love them, and it’s easy to see why with delightfully catchy songs like ‘Someone Like You’, ‘Young’ and closer ‘Chelsea’. They also crack out a cover of Bruno Mars’ banger ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’. It’s a brave choice, but one that completely pays off. This crowd will mostly definitely be at The Summer Set’s headline UK tour when they come back over in May.
Next up are the only British band on the bill: Lower Than Atlantis. They’re a somewhat strange choice for such a sugary sweet tour, but tonight they come away absolutely triumphant. Frontman Mike Duce seems more upbeat than at their own shows, while still managing to keep his own brand of deadpan humour, and the crowd respond excellently. Songs like ‘Love Someone Else’ and ‘Deadliest Catch’ go down a storm tonight, and it’s clear to see that a lot of the crowd are familiar with their material. A true victory for the Brits.
And last but not least: tonight’s main act, All Time Low. It’s unbelievable how successful ATL have been over the last couple of years, but as tonight shows, it’s definitely well deserved. Considering their most recent album, ‘Don’t Panic’, only came out a few months ago, the response to the songs is mindblowing. Tonight’s setlist is largely made up of songs off the new album and older songs off ‘Nothing Personal’ and the EPs, and it’s a corking mixture.
The energy and passion of the crowd has to be seen to be believed: their love for Alex Gaskarth and co is completely unbelievable, not to mention the amount of bras that end up on guitarist Jack Barakat’s mic stand. They put on a fantastic show for their fans, full of banter and hits, and you can see why they inspire so much craziness. Songs like ‘Stella’, ‘Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)’, ‘Backseat Serenade’ and ‘Lost In Stereo’ completely justify everything, because they are just so damn catchy.
The show itself is fantastic, and their ATL backdrop, complete with incredible light show, is spectacular. They go offstage before coming back on for an encore, which consists of new album opener ‘The Reckless And The Brave’ and their two oldest and biggest hits, ‘Weightless’ and ‘Dear Maria Count Me In’. Tonight is the ultimate success for all bands involved, but especially All Time Low. Great work.
LAIS MW