Stand Atlantic, Seaway and State Champs
Roundhouse // London, England // October 27th, 2018
Photos and review by Rachael Dowd
Stand Atlantic
As one of the latest bands to come out of Australia, Stand Atlantic have had quite the year. Since signing to Hopeless Records in September and releasing their debut album, Skinny Dipping, just last week, the hard work the members of Stand Atlantic have put in over the years showed as they took the stage at the Roundhouse last weekend.
Opening their set with “Lavender Bones,” the lead single off of Skinny Dipping, that now has over one million listens on Spotify, something was ignited in the audience as crowd surfers soared over the barricade and their voices rang louder than most opening acts get these days.
In just seven songs, Stand Atlantic proved why they are one of the fastest growing bands in the pop punk scene right now. With powerful voices from vocalist Bonnie Fraser and a strong performance from David Potter (bass), Jonno Panichi (drums) and touring guitarist Miki Rich, it’s hard to believe that they just released their debut album last week, their well-executed performance surpassing some bands that are considered tour veterans.
Playing new songs off of Skinny Dipping including the album’s title track and “Lost My Cool,” Stand Atlantic also treated fans to a surprise cameo performance from Creeper’s Hannah Greenwood who has been making routine guest appearances during Stand Atlantic’s sets this fall.
Closing out their set with “Coffee at Midnight,” off of 2017’s Sidewinder EP, Stand Atlantic offer a breath of fresh air in the music scene. With incredibly strong vocals and a sound just unique enough to stand out from other pop punk bands while still having elements that will attract new fans, it won’t be long until Stand Atlantic are headlining shows of their own.
Seaway
Well known in the scene for their poppy take on classic punk tunes, Seaway put on another performance that did not disappoint a single person in attendance. With a nine song set list, Seaway had a medley of songs from 2015’s Colour Blind and their recently released album, Vacation, a mixture that left old and new fans alike satisfied.
Kicking off their set with “Best Mistake,” the energy Seaway brought to the Roundhouse was infectious, die hard fans with their Seaway merch on singing along with vocalist Ryan Locke who seemed determined to keep the energy high for headliner State Champs.
As always during a Seaway set, “Slam” offered a particularly stand out moment, fans’ voices ringing throughout the venue as the key lyrics “everything is cool man” kicked in, showcasing how prominent 2015’s Colour Blind still is for Seaway fans.
For the show, Seaway appropriately included “London” in their set, a moment the audience had clearly been waiting for. A track about dating a girl who has decided to move to London, fans from the back of the venue to the barricade were singing the song passionately as mentions of London areas were sung, including Camden Town which is coincidentally where the show took place.
Closing out their set with “Lula On The Beach,” the lead track from Vacation, Seaway showed once again why they continue to be one of the most talked about bands in the pop punk scene, their cleverly written songs and bubbly energy on stage being just two of the elements that have fans flocking back to their gigs whenever they are in town.
State Champs
As their biggest headlining show to date, State Champs had a bit of a point to prove in London last week. With a stage production worthy of an arena tour and new material from their brand new album, Living Proof, all queued up for performing, State Champs put on an unforgettable performance London fans will never forget.
Opening up their set with “Criminal,” the first track off of Living Proof, the entire room exploded with excitement and energy, the atmosphere making it very clear that the audience had been anticipating this show for a long time. With pyro shooting off on stage and vocalist Derek DiScanio’s distinct vocals ringing through the speakers, it took about a minute into the set to realize we were about to watch something incredibly special.
With a hefty 20 song set list that spanned State Champs entire career, tracks from 2017’s Around the World and Back were highlight moments during the night, fans singing louder than ever during “Losing Myself,” “Perfect Score,” “Shape Up” and “All You Are In History.”
While DiScanio’s vocals and stage presence captivated many in the crowd, the musicianship of the guys that make up the rest of State Champs was very hard to ignore. From the reserved, but powerful performance from lead guitarist Tyler Szalkowski to the loud and charismatic presence of bassist Ryan Scott Graham, each member of State Champs brings a unique element to the band, something that has allowed them to become one of the most successful pop punk bands.
Closing out the night with an encore of both “Elevated” and “Secrets,” the moment the band left the stage and the house lights turned up, fans were already buzzing about the next time State Champs would be coming through London.
From venues filled with fifty people to headlining their biggest show to date at London’s historic Roundhouse, State Champs have somehow gotten the recipe right over the years, their hard work and musicianship helping to make them one of the biggest names in alternative music today. While there are no future dates in the UK planned yet, I am sure it’s only a matter of time before State Champs will be touring around the world and back for another time.
