Friday 8th September, 2023
Support: Yours Truly
I can’t believe I still had the energy in me to hit up a pop punk show after three nights of BigSound, but hey, here I am and I’m stoked that my body survived. The fans came out in droves on Friday night as Welsh pop punk outfit Neck Deep played their first show in Brisbane post-pandemic and honestly, it goes down as one of the top tours of 2023.
One of the great things about the genre is, pop punkers are the most dedicated, passionate fans out there and boy, you could feel the excitement a mile away. With the lineup surging right around the block, the little ol’ Tivoli was packed to the rafters even before Yours Truly hit the stage. The energy was buzzing, which made things even more electric when Mikaila Delgado appeared on stage (riding solo without her bandmate, Teddie Haron at this show of the tour).
Nonetheless, Delgado captivated the audience with her swirling performance and as a longtime fan of Yours Truly, tonight kind of felt bittersweet. Sure, they played fan favourites ‘Circles‘, ‘Together‘ and ‘High Hopes‘, but I got the vibe that it may be the last time we’ll be witnessing these songs live. The newly formed duo are embarking into a new era and if we’re going off how tracks like ‘Careless Kind‘ and ‘Walk Over My Grave‘ pop off live, it is going to keep us all on our toes. The way that Mikaila effortlessly owns that stage in 2023 is somewhat something to live up to for many upcoming acts. Her fiery passion for music can be seen and heard from the bleachers and it’s inspiring to watch.
The excitement truly tore the Tivoli roof off as soon as the opening bars to ‘Sonderland‘ began to play. By the time ‘Kali Ma‘ boomed through the speakers, it was nonstop pop punk action. Besides overcoming a tiny political moment during ‘Citizens of Earth‘, vocalist Ben Barlow was in his element. The ever so charismatic lead singer gave the fans what they wanted to hear — from “posi pop punk” during everyone’s favourite ‘Gold Steps‘ to OG Rain in July classic ‘Over and Over’. The latter had the band shed a tear on nostalgia lane, reminiscing about their first ever Australian tour nine years ago.
Not ones to shy away from Australian culture (they are British after all), Neck Deep owe a lot to Aussie fans especially those in Brisbane. They thanked the OG fans for coming along to their very first overseas show at the X & Y Bar and for sticking by them throughout the years.
More highlights of the night include hearing live for the first time bouncing new anthem ‘Heartbreak of the Century,’ the blink-182 esque ‘Take Me With You‘ and let’s not forget about the sappy but oh-so-tender guitar lines of ‘When You Know‘. By the time the three-song encore rolled around, you can rest assured that every frown at the Tivoli was turned upside down. Despite what many think, Neck Deep’s sold out Australian tour is proof that pop punk is far from a dying breed in this country.
Review by Tamara May @citylightstam
