If you were to say that you were off to see All Time Low, the last place you’d expect to find yourself these days is outside a small, pub-like building on the outskirts of Leeds. And yet, here we are. True to Northern form, there’s been snow for much of the morning, and now icy winds howl around the outside of the unassuming Brudenell Social Club as an ever growing line of fans huddle together in a (mostly failing) attempt to stay warm – having been announced only last week, this is about as last minute a show as it gets for a band like this. Getting a ticket might’ve required a cunning combination of luck, timing, and witchcraft, but for a chance to see one of pop punk’s most enduring success stories play a 400 capacity venue? Worth it.
It takes a fair while for the assembled queue to make it inside the venue, meaning local openers Venus greet the majority upon walking through the double doors – and it’s a warm welcome to what’s set to be a special night. Their punk-infused rock is as fiery as it is melodic and energetic, though it’s a little difficult to discern many of the lyrics; there’s nothing that quite sets Venus apart yet, but it’s still early days for these newcomers, with plenty of potential still to be tapped in the future.
Never has a half hour break before a headliner seemed to last as long as it does tonight, and there’s not much visible floor space amongst the hundreds of impatiently twitching feet as 8pm ticks nearer. It’s a setting that fairly starkly contrasts with the scene that will greet All Time Low the next time they’re in Leeds for the northern leg of Reading & Leeds Festival, and it’s been many years since they graced spaces this intimate on headline tours. From teenagers up to fans from the early days, everyone is infected with the kind of giddy excitement that could only ever come from seeing your favourite band, and sharing that experience with 400 others who love them just as much.
With only twelve tracks to come this evening, there’s no time to hold back – and from the first moments of ‘Weightless’, it looks like nobody is planning on doing so. It might be smaller than Reading & Leeds in here, but between the dancing of feet, screams, and singing along, the noise level could still easily rival it. Remember those videos of The Beatles from the 60s? That’s Brudenell Social Club on this cold, wet Monday night, and the ripples of joy evident in hundreds of gigantic grins feel like a sprinkling of magic as All Time Low dip into a collection of fan favourites.
The announcement of these two one-off shows were accompanied by the release date for album number eight, ‘Wake Up, Sunshine’, and the handful of new tracks that find a place in the setlist make up some of the night’s highlights – not that it’s obvious they’re new, given the volume of the ecstatic crowd. The “really fast” ‘Sleeping In’ and anthemic ‘Some Kind Of Disaster’ have all that signature All Time Low vibrance without sounding like a rehash of previous material; this is a band with plenty of gas still left in the tank, and these arena-ready songs make the most of the incredible sound in Brudenell, filling every inch with electric clarity.
Despite the relatively brief set there is, of course, still plenty of time for the band’s infamous and frequently slightly absurd banter to make an appearance. Ever wondered what happens when you touch a disco ball? You shatter into a billion glittering pieces and form part of the universe forever, apparently. Useful information. Where these interludes have occasionally in the past gone a bit too far, tonight it’s nothing but pure (and very silly) entertainment, featuring heckles aimed at guitarist Jack Barakat’s skill and an inexplicably ridiculous jazz-country version of ‘Dear Maria, Count Me In’. In this small room, the band are able to feed off the audience interaction with razor sharp wit, and it’s a shame they aren’t able to play venues this size more often.
It’s all too short a time to party as the set is brought to a close with ‘Dear Maria, Count Me In’ (in its normal format), but judging by the smiles that remain on the faces of departing fans, it’s a night that will live in memories for a long time to come. There’s a reason All Time Low have remained at the top of a fickle genre for such a long time, and their ability to capture the hearts, energy, and attention of a room is second to none – All Time Low are truly the kings of pop punk, and long may they reign.
GEM ROGERS
