Co-headline tours appear to be the trending thing these days, so when As It Is announced they were teaming up with This Wild Life for a UK headline run, it was obvious that that would be a party not to be missed.
Blackpool boys Boston Manor kicked the pop-punk fuelled night off with a punch and despite being the lesser-known of the bands on this bill, they pull a respectable crowd. Tracks from their EP ‘Driftwood’ are delivered with spirit and bounce while frontman Henry Cox demands the attention of the crowd.
The cheeky Canadians in Seaway were next to take the stage, their own version of the Canadian flag draped in the background. Launching into the infectious ‘Your Best Friend’ they take the crowd from slightly warm, to a circle pitting, sweating mess. The dual vocals of Ryan Locke and Patrick Carleton work incredibly well together and the entire set was full of fun and energy. Keep your eyes on Seaway because they’re fighting their way into the pop-punk spotlight and they definitely have the talent make it.
Splitting their set times equally, This Wild Life honourably took the sub-headline slot for the show and having been whipped up by two great bands previously, it was unsure how an acoustic duo could make the same impression. However, as the twinklings of ‘History’ begun, and judging by the screams coming from the front, there is no doubt in anyone’s minds that it’ll be a special show. Though the set seemed surprisingly short, they worked through tracks from last years full-length ‘Clouded’ beautifully, melting hearts throughout the room and inducing spine tingling sing-a-longs. With a sly cover of Blink 182’s ‘First Date’ and a finale of their heavily praised cover of Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Sleepwalking’, This Wild Life won over the crowd in one swift set, we just look forward to a time when they can play a solid hour of delightful acoustic songs which they create so well.
Before As It Is had even begun there were deafening screams echoing out at the slightest appearance of frontman Patty Walters. Launching into ‘Speak Soft’ and recent single ‘Cheap Shots and Setbacks’, within an instant The Garage is alive and the floor is bouncing. No matter what anyone may think of As It Is, they whip a crowd into a frenzy unlike many bands can. Still buzzing from the success of their debut album ‘Never Happy, Ever After’ the emo/pop-punk boys from Brighton power through an almighty set full of their newer material, with not a word left unsung by the crowd.
Though, at times, the dual vocals courtesy of Ben Biss sound a little out of tune and it all occasionally feels slightly teen-pop, you have to hand it to them, they know how to put on a show and when the finale of ‘Dial Tones’ rolls around spirits are high and the atmosphere in the venue is electric. Their quick rise to success hasn’t yet phased As It Is and they’ll undoubtedly continue to become more and more successful in the years to come, so you better get used to them being around.
TAMSYN WILCE
