By Luka Cutts, Fourth Year Medical Biochemistry
Run by independent group Deadpunk Promotions and set in the Prospect Building, everything was prepared to withstand the surge of the cult fanbases in an almost constant mosh. The Prospect Building used to be a torpedo factory for the Ministry of Defence, which seems fitting for the amount of energy it was containing that night. Every song played was on a bucket list to see live, and the crowd matched that sentiment entirely.
Kicking things off was Ways Away who, as the newest band, were certainly towered over by those that came next. Despite the pressuring expectations, they held their own, able to form a decently sized crowd. They have the formula down: with catchy drums (Joyce Manor’s drummer), dreary guitar and an angry singer. I would describe them as a hardcore version of Joyce Manor, which set the scene for the bands to come.
Getting into the real meat and potatoes, Oso Oso were on next, and with a bang. Being arguably the most mellow of the bunch, they started off with their slower songs but still drew in the crowd.
Oso Oso have such beautiful lyrics about young love, learning to grow older with those we care about, paired with twinkly guitar and Jade Lilitri’s perfect Midwest emo voice. Oso Oso’s unique sound will always bring friends together — I’ve even bonded with my letting agent who had met Jade at their gig a few years back (pictured below).
Since sixteen, me and my home friends (who were in attendance) used to skate to their songs; the contrast to being twenty-one, belting their lyrics together, was already so nostalgic we were on the verge of tears before 7 p.m. It all came to an emotional end in a mosh to ‘gb/ol h/nf’ after a classic setlist filled with songs from the boyish, naïve, wide-eyed album Real Stories of True People Who Kind of Looked Like Monsters.
Next up were the incredibly talented Tigers Jaw, who were the highlight of my night and, I would argue, should have been the headliner. They started with such a painfully long mic test, teasing us as their devout fans eagerly waited to dance to their catchy tunes. Don’t let the whiny voice deceive you — Tigers Jaw are a timeless, fully fleshed-out band.
Once they click, oh boy, do they click. The guitar sounds like a gleamy warm hug for the soul, disarming you completely for poetic lyrics that cut so deep, and drums that hold all the energy of emo but with an almost jazz-like dance element to their beat. Overall, the sound is so mature yet makes you feel young and safe whilst simultaneously beating you down.
Tigers Jaw have all the magic of early adult life and, because of that, a deserved cult fanbase who were chanting every lyric to every song. They played non-stop bangers, with ‘Nervous Kids’ signalling the start of the mosh, leading into their perfect coming-of-age self-titled album (aka the pizza album).
I have only felt euphoria watching live music a couple of times, and moshing to their gummy songs ‘The Sun’, ‘I Saw Water’, ‘Chemicals’ and ‘Plane vs Tank vs Submarine’ was on par with moshing to Playboi Carti and Dead Kennedys live for the first time.
With the crowd now drenched in sweat, The Hotelier were on and confident. Another criminally underrated and virtuosic band, known especially for their album Home, Like Noplace Is There (the house album). I would characterise their sound as addictive and earwormy — again, don’t be deceived by the whiny voice.
Their sound scratches an itch you didn’t know was there and won’t stop itching once you start. Once you pop, you can’t stop, and whilst you are distracted by how catchy their songs are, the music will pull you down into their bittersweet outlook they carefully curated in each song. The moshpit was exponentially building up in anticipation for Joyce Manor, and by the time they played ‘Your Deep Rest’, a massive circle had formed.
Tears were also forming at this point with how overwhelmingly good the bands had been and how much of a once-in-a-lifetime experience it was. Best part was, the night wasn’t even over yet. The Hotelier ended their weavy and rooted performance with the emotional album closer ‘Dendron’.
With the crowd reset, Joyce Manor took to the stage with their eclectic discography on full show. The audience was now packed in, of all ages, showing that Joyce Manor were not only the pop-punk voices of the 2010s youth but the 2020s youth too.
The mosh got rougher, with any songs off their first album Never Hungover Again bringing in a barrage of crowd surfers. All their top songs were performed, with ‘Constant Headache’ being the most popular, but the mosh never really changed size, nor did the volume of the crowd, as their fans know the band through and through.
I was waiting for my personal favourite song ‘Eighteen’ to play, and as I shouted for it, the unmistakable riff rang out and in a blink I was flying into the centre of the mosh. Joyce Manor’s ability to be so versatile in genre yet retain such a diehard fanbase is astonishing and goes to show how much their sound resonates with younger generations.
They made sure to recognise the powerhouse roster and dedicated specific songs to each band. At the very end, they let the crowd decide the last three songs — ‘Catalina Fight Song’, ‘Derailed’ and ‘Last You Heard of Me’.
The bands that performed that Wednesday I wouldn’t classify as my top artists of all time, but the gig will probably be my favourite I’ve ever been to. It was a blend of my teenage friends with new friends I’ve made throughout university through music, mixed into a nostalgic, midwesty, beautiful blur — a testament to the music each band brought to the table.
Not picking favourites, but Tigers Jaw brought it all together and, in my opinion, should be the headliner — and a bucket list for you to see too.
Featured Image: Joyce Manor | Epigram / Luka CuttsWhat's your favourite Joyce Manor song?
