After postponing the tour multiple times, Neck Deep and more finally made it to Nashville, thawing the frozen pop-punk hearts.
Heart Attack Man from Ohio was the second opener of the night. During the song ”Old Enough 2 Die,” singer Eric Egan asked the crowd if it was anyone’s birthday, to which some yelled “Yes!” Song was dedicated to those fans. Crowd-surfers started early, showing just how great of an opener they were. As they were singing ”Pitch Black,” it gave the audience an extra kick of energy, and the feel of the perfect song to blast while going down the highway. Singer Eric got everyone jumping.
Zero 9:36 seemed to have been the replacement for Nothing, Nowhere that was originally on the tour bill. They use a rather unique melding of genres, but vocalist Matthew Cullen made it work. This set was definitely the most welcome surprise of the night. What was first met with certain skepticism turned into a new fanbase. Cullen’s vocal range going between the genres was smooth, the melodies were on point. It was a good view of what was coming later on.
It had been four years since the British band Boston Manor was in Nashville. Their return has been majorly anticipated. Fans were screaming intently for their attention. Singer Henry Cox had playful vocals, putting his accent on heavily which made the crowd swoon.
In the midst of the set, a wall of death was initiated. It went from the front row all the way back to the soundboard. The energy was palpable. Once it started, shirts were flying, nosebleeds and drinks went everywhere. The EMTs were hard at work after it, tending to black eyes, bloody noses, and sprained ankles. As if that was not enough, the band called out security looking especially bored and inspiring fans to crowd surf more. They ended their set with the song ”Halo.” As they finished their set, the audience was thoroughly warmed up for the headliner.
With the biggest production set that Neck Deep has ever had, the excitement clung thick in the air. The set was a real-life creation of one of their bedrooms where they played together during quarantine. As the crew was preparing the set, the crowd sang songs and chanted “Neck Deep!”
Once the band hit the stage, the audience surged like a tsunami towards the stage. Not a second was lost. The deafening screams of fans proved how perfect the first night of the tour was. Fans unabashedly asked vocalist Ben Barlow to strip his t-shirt, which he did, much to their appreciation.
As they were playing the song ”Telling Stories,” everyone at Marathon Music Works was into it. The band had a fantastic stage presence, they used the entirety of the built production set throughout the show. Guitarist Matt West did multiple dizzying spins and hyped up the already energetic crowd. Ben Barlow said, ”Has anyone felt alone these past few years? It’s always the darkest times when you are alone.” He speaks of loneliness during quarantine and makes a reference to their song ”Quarry”.
You could feel the excitement radiating from the band being able to do such production and the fact that it was indeed the first day of the tour. As soon as they started playing ”She’s A God,” the entire audience roared. It was such a wild show, they even had bras thrown on stage. Once they played ”A Part of Me” there were goosebumps, phone flashlights, and lighters were lit throughout the crowd. It was truly beautiful scenery. They end the encore with “In Bloom”, and that was the end of the night. As the crowd was dissolving, everyone was smiling big, and this Neck Deep production was truly one of a kind.
NECK DEEP
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BOSTON MANOR
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HEART ATTACK MAN
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