ALL TIME LOW // C'mon Get Happy

ALL TIME LOW with Neck Deep + The Maine – Riverstage, Brisbane – 12 May, 2017

Brisbane was the first date on All Time Low’s Australian tour to promote their new album, Last Young Renegade, which is to be released in June. A chilly night, the breeze rolling from the river into Riverstage saw people happy to be huddled close to strangers in the crowd, waiting for the show to begin.

The Maine // Photo: Vincent Shaw

The Maine opened the night. Playing a bunch of songs that got the crowd pumped, including their hit Black Butterflies and Deja Vu, which resulted in a lot of teenage girls screaming (which would be a recurring theme for the night). The band brought a fan on stage to help them sing Girls Do What They Want. His name was Aaron, and frontman John O’Callaghan introduced him to the crowd, saying “ladies take note, dudes take note, I don’t know how Aaron sways, it’s cool either way”, when Aaron shook his head, clearly feeling a bit embarrassed at that remark, O’Callaghan dint miss a bit “it’s 2017, dude” he said, “you’ve got to get with it”.

The Maine // Photo: Vincent Shaw

Next up was Neck Deep, from the Wales. Packed with so much damn energy, the band members rarely stood still, instead choosing to jump around and do so many guitar spins that I was sure they must have been feeling dizzy. Their single December went off! The crowd was jumping and singing along, mirroring the energy of the band on stage. Finishing the set with Can’t Kick Up The Roots, vocalist Ben Barlow screamed to the crowd “we’re going to play this song, and when it drops, everyone on the floor and on the grass is going to get up and jump!”

Neck Deep // Photo: Vincent Shaw

It began sprinkling while All Time Low were setting up, which led to a lot of slightly concerned looks exchanged between friends. Riverstage is outside, and obviously has no protection from the elements. Luckily, it stopped just as quickly as it started, and All Time Low burst onto the stage, playing Weightless to open the night. There was a lot of screaming, as the young girls close to the stage reached out their arms, clamouring to get closer to the band. Underwear began being thrown onto the stage and it wasn’t long until guitarist Jack Barakat’s mic stand was laden with bras.

Neck Deep // Photo: Vincent Shaw

The band, who are usually a 4-piece, had an extra guitarist on stage with them as they played through a wide spectrum of songs, including some from their soon-to-be-released album Last Young Renegade. After playing new single Kids In The Dark, Bakarat stated that it was the first time they’d ever played it live. For Something’s Gotta Give vocalist Alex Gaskarth asked for as many people as possible to get on each other’s shoulders, and the song was performed with a lot of girls teetering unsteadily on others in the crowd.

All Time Low // Photo: Vincent Shaw

Halfway in, most of the band left the stage and Gaskarth was left alone, thanking the crowd for their support over the past year while the band had been busy creating their new record. He launched into a solo performance of fan-favourite Therapy, which was a pretty touching moment, as hundreds of people sang along.

Underwear began being thrown onto the stage and it wasn’t long until guitarist Jack Barakat’s mic stand was laden with bras.

Handed an acoustic guitar, Gaskarth did a bit of noodling on it, before declaring he was the next John Mayer. Someone in the crowd screamed out that they loved John Mayer, which led Gaskarth to do his best impression of a teenage girl, imitating her call out, before stating that John Mayer loved her too. During his performance of Missing You, the rest of the band came back on, and the song was finished as a collective.

All Time Low // Photo: Vincent Shaw

The band played several more songs (including a fantastic cover of Lorde’s Green Light), before exiting the stage. They had barely left before fans began chanting out for them to come back for one more song, and the band returned and delivered, with not one, but three songs. Lost In Stereo was followed by Jasey Rae, which Gaskarth dedicated to everyone who had been a fan of the band for ten or more years. The band ended the song three times, to make sure they got it perfect. The ending saw Barakat bounding across the stage and removing his shirt, which resulted in a deafening amount of screams from the crowd. The encore was tied off with breakthrough single Dear Maria, Count Me In, complete with red and white confetti being fired from the stage during the final chorus.

All Time Low // Photo: Vincent Shaw

All Time Low played a well-balanced set, complete with new songs with their slightly new electro-pop sound, and fan favourites from earlier records. Whether you’re a fan of the band’s earlier stuff, or their more recent recordings, catching All Time Low on their Australian Tour is definitely a highly recommended night out.