Modern pop-punk champions Neck Deep return to Australia, bringing with them their 2024 self-titled album for the first time.
The album was a return to form and heralded as their best work since their iconic album, 2015's 'Life's Not Out To Get You'. Joining the line-up is pop-punk favourites State Champs and newcomers LATE 90s – making this the biggest pop-punk tour of the year so far.Adelaide's Hindley Street Music Hall is full for an opening act on a Wednesday night (23 April). Considering the demographic of the room, everyone probably just saw the brilliant name, 'Late 90s' and realised this was speaking to them.
Perth's LATE 90s wear their influences on their sleeves. There's heavy Deftones influences throughout their music, at times it sounds late '90s grunge, at other moments it sounds early 2000s rock and nu metal.
The song 'Metamorphosis' highlights these chunky, heavy riffs and ethereal vocals. In the song 'Unbound', lead singer Stephen Loreck acknowledges the Limp Bizkit inspiration as he starts it by saying "DJ spin that sh.t," a nod of the head to Fred Durst.
It's a short but impactful set, which leaves the room curious for more. LATE 90s honour their roots with a modern twist that creates this nostalgic, warm sensation that you feel you've heard before. They'd be welcomed with open arms to similar festival line-ups and opening spots. Hopefully we see and hear more soon.
If Neck Deep are the flag bearers for UK pop-punk, State Champs are a staple of the American style. State Champs lean towards the poppier side of the genre with similarities to Simple Plan, Fall Out Boy and All Time Low.
Three songs into their set, the epic chorus of 'Mine Is Gold' has the crowd warmed up and bouncing on their feet. 'Outta My Head' picks up the pace, while 'Criminal' energises the first circle pit of the night.
Vocalist Derek DiScanio introduces the first song from the first album that started it all 'Elevated'. It still receives an ovation after all these years; it's a testament to how State Champs kicked down the door and put themselves on the map from the start.
Halfway through 'Everybody But You' the feature guest of the studio version – Neck Deep's Ben Barlow – appears onstage to a roar and picks up a microphone to sing his verse with Derek. The atmosphere has built to a tipping point by this point and they end their set on a high with 'Secrets'.
Each time Neck Deep plays in Adelaide the venue gets bigger. They've gone from Fowlers to The Gov, and now they've filled out the room at Hindley Street Music Hall (again). With a ten-plus year career and six albums worth of music to choose from their set list is – as Sum 41 would say – all killer, no filler.
It's rare that a band releases a new album and it's immediately accepted into the live setting as a crowd favourite. Their self-titled album is a return to the 2000s pop-punk influences of the album 'Life's Not Out To Get You'.
They begin the set with one of the highlights of the self-titled album, 'Heartbreak Of The Century' before continuing this frenetic energy with 'STFU' and another single from the new album, 'Take Me With You'.
They pick up the pace even further with 'Motion Sickness' – a rare appearance off the album 'The Peace And The Panic'. Then they perform 'Lowlife', the only song from their 2020 album 'All Distortions Are Intentional'.
Vocalist Barlow takes a well deserved rest from running back forth and spinning around onstage to talk to the crowd. Ben highlights 'Life's Not Out To Get You' is now ten years old.
Although there are currently no plans for a dedicated full album tour, they commit the next section of the set list to play some favourites back to back. This includes 'Kali Ma', 'Gold Steps', 'Can't Kick Up The Roots' and 'Lime St.'.
They end this section on what Ben describes as a "deep cut", 'The Beach Is For Lovers (Not Lonely Losers)', but the crowd know all the words. This section is a fan-favourite moment of the set and an excellent compromise for the older fans.
Neck Deep aren't a band who are going to rely on nostalgia, they've just released one of the best albums of their career, they're bigger than ever and they're focusing on the future.
They go into four songs in a row from their latest album with 'It Won't Be Like This Forever', 'Dumbstruck Dumbf...' and 'Sort Yourself Out'. Ben declares this is the last song, there's no encore – with a cheeky, over the top wink to the crowd -– as they go into 'We Need More Bricks'.
Neck Deep never let up the energy. Some of their biggest songs are slower ballads like 'Wish You Were Here', 'A Part Of Me' and the acoustic version of 'December', but there's no time to rest at a Neck Deep show. The acoustic guitars aren't brought out and the show skips over these slower parts of their discography.
"You knew we were coming back, you just looked at the set list online anyway," Ben teases as they return to the stage. They go into the full band electric version of the ballad 'December' (again) before ending on their defining song, the perfect blend of pop and pop-punk, 'In Bloom'.
Tonight was Neck Deep at their peak. After 'Life's Not Out To Get You' Neck Deep were expected to be the future kings of pop-punk. Now a decade later – with their self-titled album being the lost piece of the puzzle – they have cemented their place on the throne.
