“Jesus, I’m ready to come home.”
This performance was anticipated for many reasons, not least because Underoath’s last visit to London was for just two songs at the 2023 Heavy Music Awards. Static Dress were the support, and the two bands attracted different fanbases – let’s face it, young and less-young – and I’m sure they learned a thing or two from one another. As a Static Dress savant, tonight was my opportunity to delve deep into Underoath, connecting me with the roots of modern post hardcore and an amazing and active legacy.
Photography by Amy Shephard, words by Dobbin T.
Static Dress
Static Dress loaded their set with heaviness, attempting to win over the post hardcore crowd with their maximalist and modern take on emocore. The opening trio of “for the attention of…”, “Push rope” and “Courtney, just relax” smashed faces and spawned a dedicated mosh. The set moved onto catchier stuff with “safeword” and the newest single “crying”, the latter not quite on everyone’s lips, but getting there. The hottest-day-of-the-year heat likely contributed to the medical incident which cut “sweet.” short. Olli Appleyard handled things perfectly – highlighting the seriousness of it without killing the mood – and they returned for final song, “clean.”. The mix handed to them by the desk was not too distinct, but my take on Static Dress’ sound is that they’re actively seeking a busy, chaotic sound, as if you’re listening through just one ear bud on the school bus. I’m already converted, but hopefully the fresh nostalgia landed with anyone that was new to the band. Whilst the CRT aesthetics would be familiar to Static Dress fans, what was new was Contrast’s fresh mask, made by Lani Hernandez-David (of Solatia, and the creator of the most recent Sleep Token masks).
Pit review: Sweaty and sparse. Two stepping for any remotely acceptable tempo. The usual suspects.
Underoath
Before the headliner, the crowd was softened up with the most Alexa-generated, unchallenging elder emo playlist I’ve ever heard. It was an ostensively ‘2004’ playlist, I suppose, from Deftones to Tenacious D, but, thank goodness, Underoath were about to play something much more special. They’re Only Chasing Safety put Underoath on the map in many ways and marks the solidification of a line-up that prevails to this day. Only Chris Dudley (keyboards) was missing; apologies were passed on by Spencer Chamberlain. Thus, the only thing lacking from tonight’s audio were the distinctive keys – perhaps the only thing that really dates this record, as it’s aged so well.
Crowd response to the first half of the record was immense, particularly for “A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black And White” and “Reinventing Your Exit”. The 10-years-on vocal rendition by Chamberlain was thrilling, and the back and fourth between him and Aaron Gillespie on drums was timeless (more drummer-singers, please). Instrumentally, everything was nailed, including the stabbing chords on “Down, Set, Go” and the chaotic outro of “I Don’t Feel Very Receptive”. Gillespie carried over Chamberlain’s casual stage presence as he stepped forward for an acoustic version of the closer “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape”. This was his time to own the microphone with a particularly tender and personal vocal performance (leaning away from the mic for “Jesus, I’m ready to come home”).
Moving on from They’re Only Chasing Safety revealed Underoath’s true range. First came “In Regards to Myself”, going down well with an infusion of chaotic metalcore with grit and eclecticism (how about a Define The Great Line tour in a couple of years?). From this point onward, the crowd didn’t need and prompts to clap along. A second medical incident paused “Take a Breath”, once again handled well by the band. Despite the double whammy of crowd incidents, none of the evening’s set lists were significantly impacted – the silver lining of not over-stuffing your line-up with too many bands, or set lists that are too ambitious. This website was a lot hotter on Voyeurist than many, but “Hallelujah” is an absolute miss for me. A spacier bridge helped a bit live, but arena rock is not the sound I want Underoath chasing. They confirmed a new record was in the works and finished up with two more mega-hits (“Breathing in a New Mentality” and “Writing on the Walls”).
Pit review: Sweatier. Sing-a-long. Remembering how to do this. Forgetting why we ever stopped.
