So here we are at the start of ADTR’s Bad Vibrations UK tour and they kick it off in Cardiff.
Very early doors sees Moose Blood come on to a sparse crowd. They’re not a band to waste energy as they kick off with a somewhat sombre and slow start. Somewhat lost in in this huge line up, the crowd feel uninterested and just want some fun. It’s an OK set as openers go but it’s just not doing it for what lies ahead.
Welsh punks Neck Deep get the ball rolling after quite the absence and the crowd feels like family. It’s familiar ground and gets a decent reception – the party has finally started. They’re cocky and laugh with the crowd as they tell everyone to get their ones out and light up the arena before smirkingly saying not to waste their batteries, they might need their phones to call mum to pick you up after. It’s funny, although a glimpse into their young fanbase but hell, that doesn’t stop fans dancing around the pit front of stage as crowd surfers continue flying over the barrier.
Not long after Neck Deep pay homage to New Found Glory we’re two minutes into their set aaannnd this is what pop punk should sound like. New Found Glory are a non stop ball of energy. Exciting and enticing. “Bad vibes tour more like good vibes tour” as they bounce around the stage. It feels pretty humbling to watch them react accordingly to the warm reception they’re getting and it doesn’t take long for remarks of US politics to make its mark – “If shit blows up there we’ll just stay here, in Cardiff, Wales”. Obviously, they end on good vibes, setting the mood for ADTR to eleven.
In support of their latest album Bad Vibrations A Day To Remember bring with them a whole new production and a lorry load of confetti. The response from the crowd doesn’t go a miss as smiles fill the arena. There’s tears, laughter and an onslaught of crowd surfers from the beginning.
One of their crew spends a song shooting out free shirts in what ever direction Jeremy amusingly calls out. They’re pretty renowned for their fun antics and tonight is no different as an array of inflatable volley balls, crocodiles and fish make an appearance and flung out into the crowd creating what looked like an underwater rave of nemo’s. Another moment sees the band call out for crowd surfing surfers, in which you surf on a crowd surfer, it’s tough but a few young ones somehow manage to balance their way to the front.
Their fine blend of metalcore and punk flows throughout the set. A wall of monitors behind the band offer some amusement between songs along with personalised videos for each song, whether it be pre-recorded, animations or live footage.
Jeremy recalls how ten years ago today they released their record ‘For Those Who Have Heart’ before launching into ‘Fast Forward To 2012’ but they quickly dip back into new material, really pushing their latest album as a handful of hits from Bad Vibrations keep on coming, amongst a sizeable set list too.
ADTR keep up the lively spirit throughout. As we walk around the venue we witness an unusual amount of people in animal onesies and it just goes to show how much ADTR represent care-free fun. The band perform dominantly, each member offering their own element to the show and creating a tight relationship with the crowd.
Tonight’s show as left youngsters on a euphoria. As the kids say, that show was lit.
9/10
