Tonight is the first night of tour for Lower Than Atlantis, We Are The Ocean and PVRIS, and the atmosphere is suitably rowdy for such a great line up. There’s been a lot of hype around this tour, and tonight that hype is completely and utterly justified.
First up are PVRIS: this is their first UK show, and there’s been a lot of suspense building up to it. They’re just as fantastic as hoped, and frontwoman Lynn Gunn is one of the most kickass you’ll ever see. The crowd stare up at the stage in wonder for the first part of their set, but by the time they play ‘St Patrick’ and closer ‘My House’, everyone is going wild. With such a blinding debut album, it’s wonderful to see PVRIS live up to the hype. If this is what they’re like at the beginning of their career, then god knows how good they’ll be a few years in.
Next up are Brits We Are The Ocean, whose music is a lot more mellow than both PVRIS and headliners Lower Than Atlantis. WATO have changed their music style significantly since their inception: they’re almost unrecognisable from the band they once were. They’ve headed down a more indie, folky path, and although they always sound good, they don’t necessarily fit the high energy vibe of this tour.
And finally, headliners Lower Than Atlantis. LTA are another band who have slightly changed their musical route – they’ve added a poppy edge – but this is almost definitely the best they’ve ever been. They play a hefty amount of songs off their most recent, self-titled album, and they sound absolutely huge.
With massive bangers like ‘Emily’ and ‘Ain’t No Friend’ going down a storm, it’s no doubt that Lower Than Atlantis’ fans back their new direction 100%. One of the biggest singalongs of the night comes in the form of ‘English Kids In America’, and it’s a bloody great moment.
They manage to please everyone by playing a good mixture of old and new, and massive banger ‘Deadliest Catch’ still gets a fantastic reception. There is no doubt that Lower Than Atlantis seem rejuvenated since the release of their new album, and it’s an absolute pleasure to watch a band who seem so passionate about their music.
Ending on the hugely anthemic ‘Here We Go’ is a brilliant choice, because they well and truly go out with a bang. If this is the direction Lower Than Atlantis are going in, we could truly be in for a treat, because they just get better and better.
LAIS MW