LIVE REVIEW: Neck Deep, Wargasm, Higher Power, happydaze, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, 19/02/2022
Photo Credit: Jack Geddes
The Barrowland Ballroom is in the hearts of many as a staple within the Scottish music scene, holding its reputation as truly iconic for decades. Taking over for a night to remember, Neck Deep made the venue a crucial stop on their headline tour for All Distortions Are Intentional, and brought the buzz for the release with them. Even with the tour being pushed back by two years, the Welsh Pop Punk-Rockers have shown they can push back even harder to bring fans all over a night to remember.
The saying goes “There’s no place like home.” and with the couches and furniture on stage, it seems that home is definitely where the heart is. The famous stage was swapped out for a cosier setting of couches, coffee tables, lamps and fairy lights (which some have compared to the Parachutes music video!). With the vibes set and ready, let’s talk about the packed supporting bill.
With home being a heavy theme, the Edinburgh Rock outfit happydaze were perfect to kickstart the evening. The five-piece were electric as their lively opening set swayed the crowd from the bar to the ballroom, keen to hear what they were bringing from just up the road. This set was a treasure to behold and has brought something new to the music mix.
British Hardcore band Higher Power took on the second slot to show the crowd just how they got their name. Raging riffs, pulsing drums and brutal breakdowns sent the crowd into a rapid circle pit with frontman, Jimmy Wizard, showing no mercy on vocals. Setting a heavier tone for the night, Higher Power truly brought something new to the line-up.
With the supports drawing to a close, we were left waiting on one more band before Neck Deep took to the stage. That band were the sensational Wargasm and these guys absolutely stole the show! Embodying their brand of schizoid art-punk, the duo were wreaking havoc throughout their entire set. Rage All Over into Salma Hayek sent concertgoers into a frenzy with many more of their hits like Spit and Your Patron Saints setting the energy in the room ablaze and opening the pit. It’s not hard to believe we’ll be seeing Wargasm with some sold out headliners soon but everyone coming out in one piece may not be a promise.
Bouncing onto the stage, Neck Deep open with Sonderland, Lowlife and Motion Sickness, instantly getting the crowd going. It was clear the crowd were feeling the love too as a bouquet of roses flew past frontman, Ben Barlow. When You Know had the audience wrapping arms around either other, bouncing and swaying under the Barra’s disco ball before we celebrated the band’s 10th birthday with the energetic, What Did You Expect.
Narrowly avoiding a t-shirt to the face out of the t-shirt cannon, the crowd was pulsing with the energy of She’s A God, A Part Of Me and Pushing Daisies as they come together once more. The show came to its close with Gold Steps and In Bloom, yet the energy inside and out of the venue never died.
We’re already stoked for the next Neck Deep tour as they’ve proved that nothing can stop them now.
10/10
Written by: Mya Brown
Photo Credit: Jack Geddes
