Words by Ryan Brown
Powerful riffs, synth-driven soundscapes and a human pyramid, Sports Team headlines a night of celebration for British Indie music.
The show was opened by the Bristol quintet ‘Pack of Animals’. The singer took to the stage with the swagger of a Gallagher brother, this flourish combined with the instrumental stylings of ‘The Rapture’ era of the noughties British rock scene gave the set a grungy but upbeat tone, with a particular highlight being the guitar solo in the song ‘Ballerina’. The whole band gelled together brilliantly but the MVP for me was the bass player, who shredded basslines straight out of Muse’s playbook for the whole set.
The second band on was ‘Porij’, who began their set with a traditional drum, bass, guitar and vocal combination but quickly diverted to utilising a variety of synths to bolster their sound. The band gave the impression that they were using their equipment to it’s full potential; The guitar tone at one point sounded as though it could be used in an Ibiza club anthem and the variety of sounds on display gave the set a lot of sonic diversity.
Overall, the band could be described as a jazz-pop outfit, with some 70’s inspiration including keyboard lines that are reminiscent of ‘Riders of the Storm’ amalgamated with modern synths and a healthy dose of trumpet to round things off. Finally, Sports Team took to the stage. With the venue packed and the crowd raring to go, the band wasted no time capitalising on the atmosphere. Frontman Alex Rice sauntered across the stage in an almost trance-like state during the opening tracks, performing simple but reactive hand gestures that reassured the audience he was still in there somewhere.
The band as a whole, had the ethos of a pack of misfits, each with their own persona. Most notable was the aviator-clad pianist whose near-motionless demeanour provided a hilarious contrast to Rice’s restless energy. We were informed halfway through the set that the pianist’s sombre disposition stemmed from a recent breakup. I’m still unsure whether this was a joke or not.
It would be remiss of me not to mention what was easily one of the rowdiest crowds I’ve ever been part of. The mosh pits began from the beginning of the first track, and I even took a stray shot to a particularly sensitive area before the set had properly got going. Between songs, the audience took it upon themselves to construct a four- tier human pyramid for which, the band encouraged the person on top to take a leap of faith into the masses below.
Musically, the set was packed with catchy hooks, rocking chord progressions and a tight rhythm section that gave everything an extra punch. Tracks like ‘M5’ proved to be a singalong anthem, whilst their latest release, ‘Billy’, drew an equally enthusiastic response despite having only released earlier that month. The band closed with
‘Stanton’, one of the heaviest tracks of the night, culminating in an explosive drum-led finale that brought the set to a chaotic end. With lyrics that hark back to a bygone era and a contemporary spin on the indie-rock and post-punk sound that defined it, Sports Team demonstrate just how endearing a great hook and a bouncing guitar riff can be. Their ability to pair infectious song writing with an irreverent stage presence makes for a live show that is as entertaining as it is rowdy.
