On February 26th, State Champs proved that an unforgettable party does not need to be thrown on a weekend. Playing to the packed O2 Institute, the pop-punk heavy-hitters delivered an electrifying set, with supporting acts from Broadside and The Home Team. To kick the evening off, Broadside played a roughly 30-minute set. I had never listened to the group before the gig, but their polished performance and high energy made their set really enjoyable, and had me dancing along on the balcony to their pop-rock tunes. The crowd seemed visibly hesitant to fully let loose at first – they were either unfamiliar with the band or were only just warming up for the night ahead – but the band still put on an unforgettable performance and people eventually began to loosen up as they continued to play. After a very brief changeover, The Home Team followed, and the atmosphere of the crowd visibly shifted. As the band began to play, small mosh pits began to form and energy levels rose, and it was clear the crowd was getting more comfortable.

State Champs proved that an unforgettable party does not need to be thrown on a weekend.

After another intermission, during which the stage’s backdrop had changed from a large ‘The Home Team’ tapestry to an equally grandiose ‘State Champs’ setup (complete also with towering strobe lights neatly organised around the drumset), the audience began to anticipate the main event, and the excitement was immense even from where I was sat. An instrumental introduction complete with bright flashing lights welcomed their bassist, guitarist, and drummer onto the stage, shortly before lead singer Derek DiScanio energetically burst onto stage to open with the band’s song ‘Silver Cloud’. At this point, the crowd was exhilarated and unshakeable levels of energy filled the venue. The entire crowd was jumping, dancing, and singing along. DiScanio wasted no time in hyping us all up even more, exclaiming that he was so excited to party with us.

The setlist was packed with fan favourites, and what I would argue is all of their best songs, some of which included ‘Light Blue’, ‘Mine is Gold’, ‘Clueless’ and ‘Tight Grip’. Undoubtedly the crowd mirrored the band’s high energy, with mosh pits and crowd surfing being consistent throughout the set. At one point, DiScanio jokingly pointed out a crowd surfer being helped over the barrier in between songs, adding to the playfulness of the atmosphere. Bassist Ryan Scott Graham also made sure not to leave us balcony-viewers out of the hype, as he praised our section for nearly out-singing the pit and encouraging even more energy from the crowd.

…the show felt far more intimate and interactive, despite the chaotic energy of the crowd.

The set continued, and during a later intermission DiScanio remarked about how wild the crowd was for a Wednesday night, sparking a brief but amusing debate on-stage with Scott Graham over whether Wednesday is the worst day of the week as DiScanio claimed. As moments like this happened on stage, the show felt far more intimate and interactive, despite the chaotic energy of the crowd.

After an amazing run of songs from both new and old albums, the set built up to its close, and as the band began to draw everything to an end, Oliver Baxxter of Broadside was welcomed onto the stage again to sing SLOPE’s verse on ‘Save Face Story’, which the crowd went crazy for. The show’s energy was constant, and had me wishing I was right there in the pit to experience it all up-close and personal.

Whether you are looking to enjoy the music and watch a good show, […] I 100% recommend seeing State Champs.

Finishing the show and leaving the stage, the crowd chanted for even more, and eventually the band entered yet again to sing an encore which featured my personal favourite songs – ‘Everybody but You’ and ‘Secrets’. The crowd clearly got out their final bouts of energy for these songs, as the electricity of the pit was unmatched at this point; every voice in the room was shouting along and giving it their all, before State Champs officially left the stage and the show ended.

Despite this being my first time seeing State Champs, I know that I will definitely be wanting to catch them again next time they’re in town. The setlist was amazing, and the energy both on-stage and from the audience was unmatched. Whether you are looking to enjoy the music and watch a good show, or if you are like me and you like to be in the pits and close to the stage as it is all happening, I 100% recommend seeing State Champs. Not only were they amazing, but the supporting acts did an equally astounding job opening up the show and getting the crowd fired up.

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