All Time Low
10th May 2017
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
There is always a completely different atmosphere when you arrive at an all-ages show, especially one held at a predominantly R18 venue such as The Powerstation. There is palpable excitement in the air as all of those under the legal drinking age are guided upstairs to the balcony area. They line up against the railing and stare down at the people below them, thrilled to be there but simultaneously willing themselves to get older faster so that they can be one of the ‘cool kids’ who gets to be in front of the stage. It’s a feeling that all of us no matter how old you are, can relate to. We all remember that feeling of seeing our first show!
So it was the perfect audience upon which to unleash New Zealand band ‘Openside’ who released their EP Push Back late last year. The band have already supported major international acts such as 21 Pilots (twice!) and Ellie Goulding on her last show here in Auckland, and it would seem now they would be able to add All Time Low to that impressive list. Orginally called ‘Maybe Rave’ and sporting a completely different singer, Openside have obviously been through some changes. However since adopting a new name and having the feisty ‘Possum Plows’ take over on vocals the band have taken great strides forward. Dressed in leggings and a singlet, Doc Marten boots tied firmly around the ankles, Plows takes no time at all in getting the close to capacity crowd bouncing. Opening with ‘All I Really Want’ which coincidentally is also the opening track on their EP, Openside’s fans are singing along with them word for word.
Interestingly enough the band used a (ever increasing in volume) backing track for the vocals – not a bad thing in itself and due to their style of music it suits them well enough. Following their track ‘Worth It’ Plows took the chance to thank not only the fans but All Time Low for allowing them to support “one of our favourite bands”. Lead guitarist PJ Shepard covers not only backing vocals but keyboards/synth duties as well, the addition giving the band another layer of sound. Bass guitarist Harry Carter has a definite on stage swagger for one so young and George Powell on drums is certainly no wallflower either. After testing out one of their newer tracks; Openside deliver a terrific cover version of ‘Lean On’ by Major Lazer & DJ Snake, every person in attendance absolutely lapping it up. Finishing with their hit single ‘Branches’ it is easy to see why Warner Music snapped this little cracker of a band up.
While the road crew scurried back and forth across the stage making sure everything was in its place in anticipation of the main act, the audience was kept entertained with some mostly well-chosen music. While Bieber’s ‘What Do You Mean?’ may not have quite hit the mark, My Chemical Romances ‘Teenagers’ set off one of the biggest karaoke sessions of singing that the venue had ever seen; followed closely by ‘Heathens’ by 21 Pilots.
It was getting close to the hour of 9:30 however and people were growing impatient. Pockets of fans began an ‘All Time Low’ chant in hopes that their hero’s would soon arrive. Their wishes granted when English born lead singer Alex burst onto the stage with his guitar and began to sing the first lines of one of their older tracks ‘Weightless’. Formed in 2003 while the four key band members were still in High School, All Time Low have got to be one of the hardest working bands out there, consistently touring year after year. The rock band (many would argue that they are more pop-punk than rock) from Towson in Maryland have an impressive 6 albums to their name, releasing a new one almost every two years. Their seventh entitled ‘Last Young Renegade’ is due to be released in June.
The on stage lighting for the band tonight is phenomenal with steel cross railings decorating the space behind and around them. “I want to see all of you up off your feet!” Alex yells, the masses not needing to be told twice. Looking up to the balcony level above, there is wall to wall body’s po-going on the spot with smiles at least a mile wide. “You guys look really good tonight” Alex tells the audience, hundreds of girls screaming their approval “It’s so good to be back, how have you all been? You know just 48hrs ago we were performing at the MTV Awards show and we got rained and hailed on! Then we jumped straight on a plane and came here!” Indeed online videos of their performance at the MTV Movie & TV Awards show just how professional these four young guys are, as the rain absolutely belted down and they never skipped a beat. In fact it looked like they were actually having a bit of a laugh in spite of the circumstances at the time.
Alex is the definitive ring leader of the show, having the ability to not only play rhythm guitar and sing but to also consistently keep the crowd hyped up. He also has the uncanny ability to make each and every audience member feel as if they are part of something truly special, whether it is with a finger point, a wink or a quick conversation and a high five. By the fourth song there was already a bra swinging from the mic stand of lead guitarist Jack Barakat, and it would be joined throughout the night by several others! ‘Kids in the Dark’ was a highlight of the evening, the band playing in almost darkness on stage with just beams of soft blue lighting shining through.
Repping the soon to be released album, the band plays both ‘Dirty Laundry’ (which everyone knew all of the words to thanks to the single being released back in February) and title track ‘Last Young Renegade’ Alex and co certainly have a sense of humour and joked with the audience at one point that they had read that New Zealand was the orgy capital of the world and that since arriving they had seen 14 already at ‘Orgy-Park’. Alex a few seconds later apologizes with a cheeky grin for their inappropriate jokes. While the songs are all very similar with their pop-punk styling’s, the band themselves are tight and make full use of the stage. Zack Merrick on bass often stepping out onto the speakers to give the audience members a closer view; while behind the drums Rian Dawson performs with a sense of panache. An acoustic version of ‘Missing You’ had every girl in the audience visibly swooning, but it was their next track “by a New Zealand native” that had the crowd completely lose themselves, that being All Time Low’s version of Lorde’s ‘Green Light’.
Finishing their set on ‘Take Cover’ which Alex tells everyone is his most favourite song that he has ever written and which he dedicates to “all my future hearts” the band leaves the stage to rapturous applause. The audience knew they were coming back, hell even Barakat had asked them before they left if they would still be here for the encore, but it gave the kids a great opportunity to burn off some more energy by screaming out their encore chants and stomping their feet. Because let’s face it, it’s all part of that rite of passage. Returning a minute or so later, the band delivered a three song encore interjected with some more of that witty chatter. Closing the night out with another classic ‘Dear Maria’ the band then took the time to hand out guitar pics, set lists and bottles of water to the eager fans in the front row, all while bopping away to the house music which just so happened to be Bruno Mars ‘That’s What I Like’. Brilliant.
Openside:
All Time Low:
Were you there at the Powerstation for this classic night of Pop Punk good times? Or have you seen All Time Low live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Weightless
- Somewhere In Neverland
- Cinderblock Garden
- A Love Like War
- Backseat Serenade
- Dirty Laundry
- Kids In The Dark
- Something’s Gotta Give
- Last Young Renegade
- Therapy
- Missing You
- Green Light [Lorde – cover]
- Life Of The Party
- Take Cover
- Lost In Stereo [encore]
- Jasey Rae [encore]
- Dear Maria [encore]
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