Photo: Ray Hill
London’s O2 Arena is set ablaze with the ultimate pop-punk fuelled extravaganza. All Time Low return to the UK after an incredible run at Reading and Leeds festival with Back to the Future Hearts tour, bringing with them Good Charlotte and Against the Current.
The first single from the Future Hearts album sets proceedings in motion with the band emerging from the pitch black to an eruption of roars of delight from the adoring masses, with the undeniable riffage of ‘Kids in the Dark’.
“London, I feel like dancing tonight,” vocalist Alex Gaskarth declares with a gleeful, giddy grin beaming across his enviable baby face, as he jumps with the force of Winnie the Pooh’s old pal, Tigger. “Who's feeling like dancing with a fucking wolf tonight? I wanna see your best moves." An excellent prelude to another Future Hearts single, ‘Dancing with a Wolf’.
Jack Barakat, lead guitarist, counterpart to Alex and half of the endlessly outrageous on stage hilarity, flashes an image of St. George’s flag on the back of his guitar before screaming “Titties!”, met with confused laughter by all. Four tracks in and Jack shares, "I'm so out of breath, I need a vodka and a blow job!”
Moving on.
“We wrote this song for England” Jack promises as they break into ‘Lost in Stereo’ from Nothing Personal, 2009. A throwback to 2007 comes quickly with So Wrong, It's Right anthems ‘Poppin’ Champagne’ and ‘Damned if I Do Ya (Damned if I Don’t)’.
“We play England more than anywhere else in the world, there’s a good reason for that,” Jack explains. “English girls give the best blowjobs. You get a full English every morning. I’ll give you a full American right now." We’re not 100% sure what that means but we like it. With banter like this, Alex and Jack prove there is more to music than the music alone. They are born entertainers, the perfect double act to front a faultless four-piece. The music is important though (of course) as Alex makes plain, "I'm proud of this music scene, this rock ’n’ roll culture, and you beautiful people that support bands that play guitars." Agreed.
For this next track, we need Good Charlotte frontman, Joel Madden to join the show - and rightly so as he co-wrote it. ‘Bail Me Out’ takes the energy to the next level. A moment of calm repose comes in the form of 'Therapy' and 'Missing You', giving Alex time to absorb the 10,000 fans before him.
“I just wanna bask in you all for a minute. Just shut up and wave, wave at us”. Pin drop silence and vigorous waving shrouds all before Jack points out, “This is awkward!”, silence is replaced by concurring laughter.
"I'm not good at keeping secrets and I have two of them”, Jack confesses. “Herpes is not curable”, educational, thanks Jack. “Second secret, we're playing Download festival. I wasn't supposed it say it but I couldn't help it!"
With lighting all colours of the rainbow, flame throwing, high kicks, Pogo stick-esque jumping throughout, this wasn’t a lesson, but a masterclass in arena-ready emo pop-punk at it’s most effortless and stratospheric. Closing the show on an all time high with 2007 classic ‘Dear Maria, Count me in’, will we be first in line to see them play Download? Dear ATL, Count me in.
All Time Low played:
Kids in the Dark
A Love Like War
Dancing with a Wolf
Backseat Serenade
Lost in Stereo
Poppin' Champagne
Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)
Runaways
Tidal Waves
Bail Me Out (with Joel Madden)
Therapy
Missing You
Don't You Go
Coffee Shop Soundtrack
Old Scars / Future Hearts
Encore:
Weightless
Something's Gotta Give
Dear Maria, Count Me In
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