Live Review: Neck Deep, The Wonder Years, One Step Closer | Bristol O2 Academy | 30/01/25

The Wonder Years

As for the main support tonight, well, it wouldn’t be too hyperbolic to argue that The Wonder Years were the band for the pop punk class for the mid-tens. It would be impossible to envision of the state of the current scene without their input or guidance, especially in the fashion in which they proved a more mature, considered, ultimately achieved take on a genre many perceive as childish is more than possible. With that in mind, one would expect this room to lose their collective inhibitions when the band open with the ironised leads and inherent emotion of ‘I Don’t Like Who I Was Back Then’ and ‘Low Tide’. And whilst do, a divide within the room is evident.

As Philly’s finest fly through ‘GODDAMNITALL’ and ‘Cardinals’ with all the skill of a band who has steered the course of an entire genre and arguably redeemed it, two clear demographics become evident; those versed with The Wonder Years and those not. Of course, such an eventuality is expected; this is a supporting band, after all. But what is somewhat surprising is how some of the pop punk devoted clearly are not familiar with this band, one that arguably steered the scene.

Of course, those in the know more than make up their more passive peers. As Dan Campbell bounces through ‘Old Friends Like Lost Teeth’ and as his peers dive through ‘Oldest Daughter’ with a sense of sophistication often vacant within this kind of music, a thaw emerges within those unfamiliar with their craft. It’s not long before essentially everyone in this room is either mirroring Campbell’s words, or at least mirroring his energy during a rare and riff-y performance of ‘Washington Square Park’. Such substance also manifests in important statements chaptering the set, such as how we as a collective western culture demonise those experiencing homelessness, and the horrors taking place in Palestine and Gaza even following the ceasefire in the region. After all, these are topics some pop punks akin to this band may ignorantly shy away from in a live environment.

Regardless, ultimately, some may question this band’s presence on this tour, especially when they’ve proven more than capable of headlining venues of this capacity in their own right, but such questions don’t require answers. Once again, The Wonder Years effortlessly prove to be one of the best and most vital names in a genre they’ve arguably now outgrown.

Photo Credit:

David Edmunds at Swansea Arena

Neck Deep

In contrast, from the very first line of ‘Dumbstruck Dumbfuck’, tonight see’s this entire room, now packed to the literal rafters, screaming every word back in unison back towards Neck Deep. Such, as expected, continues to be the rule of tonight as Wales’ gift to pop punk fly through a set chaptered with confetti cannons, synchronised dance moves and enough hooks to land the supposed crocodile haunting Bristol’s harbour.

Touring in support of their recent self-tilted record, the Wrexham boys set feels and looks like a well rehearsed and well-oiled machine tonight. That’s not to say it’s mechanical though, quite the opposite in fact. Material from that aforementioned record is delivered with human energy aplomb, with tracks such as ‘Sort Yourself Out’, ‘It Won’t Be Like This Forever’ and ‘Take Me With You’ wildly resonating with the young audience crammed into this room tonight. The end result is an energy exchange and syncretisation, the crowd’s almost feral response fuelling the pop punk engine driving the night.

However, whilst their peers prior may have used their set to detail some vital political points currently overshadowing the globe, Neck Deep’s set is void of such topics. Is this a bad thing? Not really given the context of the evening. Yes, the material played tonight maybe more on the juvenile side of things – not all surprising given their evident inspirations essentially founded the genre on dick and fart jokes – but clearly, such styling are a form of escapism. The horrors of the world no doubt heavy on the mind of all those young and old here feel lighter as the national pop punk kings fly through choice cuts from Life’s Not Out To Get You, with the buccaneering riffs of ‘Gold Steps’ and ‘Smooth Seas Don’t Make Good Sailors’ being met with enough bounce to buckle the laminated floor of the O2. Rather, this set is a feel-good source of escapism. It’s hard to feel weighted down whilst Ben Barlow and peers cheerily crash through ‘Can’t Keep Up The Roots’ or the teenage angst of ‘December’.

What may be a surprise to some is the lack of material from the band’s first record or bundle of initial extended plays. It’s a concision effort to exclude these tracks, but as the band near the end of their 17 song set, such reason begins to become understood. Regardless of some of the band’s lyrics that may or may not have aged well over the years, it’s always been easy to judge pop punk as something of a nostalgia trip. An aged commodity reserved for bygone age. Neck Deep are clearly anything but that here. Tonight, they show that this genre has a place within the big leagues of alt music and still, after all these years, a platform for much-needed escapism and joy in a time when fear and claustrophobia is rampant.

Besides, as the band cap the evening with a triple hitter of ‘We Need More Bricks’, ‘STFU’ and ‘In Bloom, it’s clear no one here is thinking of older material. Rather, here, everyone is revelling as a collective, enjoying this bouncy, adolescent-tinged escape from the greyness of life. Suddenly, it’s understandable why Neck Deep are playing some of the biggest venues of the land and arguably one the biggest bands in pop punk on the planet.

Photo Credit:

David Edmunds at Swansea Arena