10/10. Neck Deep has been my favourite gig of 2022 so far.
This tour has been a long time coming. Neck Deep’s ‘All Distortions Are Intentional’ UK headline tour was originally supposed to start in September 2020, then moved to March 2021, and then moved again... But after nearly 2 years, the Birmingham show finally happened on the 22nd of February 2022 at the O2 Academy.
It was completely worth the wait. The Pop-punkers put on an unforgettable show, spotlighting the best of the latest album alongside a flurry of Neck Deep classics. With the show being on the 22/2/22, all the angel numbers aligning, one might say that this show dropped straight down from heaven. But Ben Barlow would be in complete disagreement. Neck Deep vocalist, Ben was quick to swot away the hysteric talk of angel numbers, that had seemingly dominated social media for the day. Instead, he wanted to appreciate the beauty of the day having finally came, after 2 years of monotony.
The supports couldn’t have been more well-suited to a Neck Deep show. To start off we had the Scottish pop-punkers, Happy Daze. Having just put out their debut EP this January, the
outfit was full of energy and a refreshing summer sound. Next up was Leeds based, Higher Power. You have to be grateful for Neck Deep’s choice of support for this tour. With both, Happy Daze and Higher Power, Neck deep is introducing us to the best of rising pop-punk talent. The final support: Wargasm. The nu-metal duo always put on a fiery show, brimmed with angst and exhilaration, and their performance supporting Neck Deep was no exception. If you went in not knowing Wargasm, you came out loving them.
As for Neck Deep, I couldn’t have wished for any better. Being one of those bands that you dream of seeing at least once in your lifetime, you can only worry that they won’t live up to your expectations. But Neck Deep, unsurprisingly, exceeded those expectations and brought to life the tracks that have dominated my playlists for years.
The set embraced the history of ‘Neck Deep’ with a reminiscence of early practice days in bassist, Seb’s bedroom. Possessing feelings of nostalgia, the set featured a sofa in the centre for breaks between tracks. The whole show had a homely, welcoming atmosphere, combining a bedroom setup with, frontman, Ben’s frequent conversational interruptions.
Neck Deep have got songs for all. Songs for the loved up, and songs for the heartbroken. Ben illuminated this. For the loved up we were treated to ‘When You Know’ from the band’s latest album, and for the heartbroken we were gifted with some old classics, including: ‘A Part of Me’ and of course, ‘December’.
Favourite tracks of the night include feature: ‘Citizens Of Earth, ‘A Part Of Me’, and ‘Pushing Daisies’.
After a night with so much buzz, and positivity, I was devastated to discover via social media that, allegedly, there were several incidents of needle spiking's at the venue. Having been searched thoroughly at the doors, with bags checked, it is unnerving that situations like this still arise. It is upsetting for both fans and the band that the anything like this could have happened at a Neck Deep show. Stay safe all gig-goers!
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