STATE CHAMPS PERFORMING AT SOUTHAMPTON’S ENGINE ROOMS

★★★★☆ (4/5)

STATE CHAMPS PERFORMING AT SOUTHAMPTON’S ENGINE ROOMS
PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI

The people of Southampton gathered at the Engine Rooms for a much promising pop punk party, as State Champs sold out the venue weeks before the gig actually happened. Bringing with them Broadside and The Home Team, the energy in the venue was pulsating, to say the least.

Broadside delivered a great and very energetic set as a start, with a much dynamic performance and a lot of crowd banter. Their music consists of catchy hooks and high energy instruments, warming up the crowd (and the crowdsurfers for that matter) early on. Their setlist even if small had some great songs like ‘Heavenly’ and ‘Coffee Talk’, whilst the crowd seemed to really enjoy ‘The Raging Sea’ and ‘Cruel’. While the band kept the energy light, their frontman said something in the end that really struck a chord “You got to find salvation in yourself before you offer it to someone else”. And with that phrase, the set was over.

Next up were The Home Team, turning the stage – and the pit – into a swinging Armageddon. The band has a lot of energy on stage, dancing and jumping as the colourful lights created an audio-visual experience, elevating the atmosphere. The band was surprised at the reaction of the crowd who seemed to know most of the songs on the set, consisting of old bangers and pieces from their new album. The fan favourites seemed to be ‘She’s Quiet’, ‘Overtime’, ‘Walk this World with Me’ and ‘Loud’, whilst both bands exchanged frontmans by having both of them sing together in each other’s sets. Broadside and The Home Team have been touring together for a while – as they reminded us – and their synergy as bands translates very well on stage, showing great chemistry between the bands and of course, having the audience roar by the end of the second set.

Last but not least, State Champs took the stage just after nine. The band have been touring with Simple Plan but have only now embarked on their headline tour across the UK, bringing waves at their wake. The set was electrifying, with the band’s tight performance and charismatic stage presence showing that a band that loves what they do can create chaos even in the smallest of venues. The crowd was jumping, singing every word and genuinely thoroughly enjoying the set, with people flocking from all over the country – and other countries for that fact – to see State Champs in their element. The setlist showcased a well curated mix of tracks from their discography, reflecting on the band’s evolution whilst also staying true to their pop-punk roots.

State Champs’ setlist had more than 20 songs on it, but the show went by so quickly, it left us all wanting more by the end. And whilst the crowd-surfing had began since the first notes of ‘Silver Cloud’ came on, the venue’s intimacy allowed for songs such as ‘Outta My Head’, ‘Clueless’, ‘Hell of It’ and ‘Just Sound’ to really come to life. Along with the elaborate setlist, the band kept engaging with their fans, making heartfelt anecdotes and expressing their gratitude. It was a great performance to witness and it definitely brought a spark of light in the darkness of winter.