Sports Team in London - 2022.10.21

Review by Lucy Thompson

Photos by Alex Gafney

Edited by Miyuki Wang

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All I remember from the night that I went to see Sports Team at Brixton Academy last year is the celebratory feeling that filled the whole room throughout the gig. Everyone including the band was there just to have a good time. I was there with Lucy, a comrade in arms, who had survived the mosh pits, crowd surfing, rowing and everything else that took place that night in Brixton. Lucy saw them again at Roundhouse on the 21st of October and here is her review of the gig.

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On the 21st of October, indie rock/post-punk band Sports Team ended their tour at the Roundhouse in London for their second album Gulp!.

Having previously seen Sports Team play at Brixton Academy last year, at Pryzm in Kingston on the first day gigs opened following covid and at Reading Festival, I knew that this gig would be a perfect end to the week. Fat Dog opened, and brought the energy we all needed to get ready for Sports Team. Something I've noticed about Sports Team gigs is that the fans always know the support bands and go almost as crazy for them as they do Sports Team. In 2021 Wet Leg and Courting opened for them and it was definitely as a whole one of the best lineups and gigs I had ever seen.

Sports Team opened with 'Here It Comes Again,' and immediately a pit opened up and from there it was full on all night. They played songs from their new album like 'The Game,' 'R Entertainment,' and 'Cool it Kid,' my personal favourite from Gulp. Also on the setlist were fan favourites such as 'Going Soft,' 'Camel Crew,' and 'M5.'

Alex Rice, their exuberant frontman, feeds off the crowd as much as they feed off of him, and with his passionate projection of lyrics and life, he is definitely one of the best in the game. Each member has their own personality on stage, especially keyboardist Ben Mack, who stands in his spot throughout the show looking straight into the crowd with sunglasses on.

After 'M5,' I finally got a breather, until they came back on stage for the encore, which opened with 'Here's the Thing,' flawlessly reminiscent of their debut album Deep Down Happy, which will remain one of the most unique and one of my favourite debuts of all time. Next they played 'Kutcher,' which has some of the best and funniest lyrics by Alex, like 'You f*** with my system again I'll take your favourite pen,' which everyone screams out with their entire lungs. They ended the set with my favourite song by them, 'Stanton,' which has such a great build-up that prepares the crowd for the biggest moshpit of their life.

Sports Team's lyrics and catchy melodies make them one of the most perfect bands to see live. When walking into one of their gigs, you know what you're going to get: an energetic, all-out and fall blast set with the definition of indie anthems, and every time they bring it with everything they have.

Despite losing my friends for the entire set and for much of it trying to survive the moshing, it was one of the most fun and happiest gigs I've ever been to. Even if Sports Team aren't your favourite band, you will not want to miss them live. Their gigs are literally the epitome of euphoria.

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Setlist:

Here It Comes Again

The Game

Happy (God's Own Country)

The Races

R Entertainment

Dig!

Cool It Kid

Camel Crew

Fingers (Taken Off)

Going Soft

Unstuck

Fishing

Light Industry

Lander

The Drop

M5

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Here's The Thing

Kutcher

Stanton

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Check Out Sports Team on their Official Website, YouTube Channel, Instagram, Spotify and Apple Music.

Sports Team will be touring Europe in November. Get your tickets here

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Lucy has a music blog Indified of her own where she writes about gigs she's been to and album she's listened to. Go check out her page for more of her writings.

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Alex is currently studying photography and has a gig photography account on Instagram (@capturedbyalexx). Check her account for more of her super cool photos.

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We're thrilled to have Lucy as our 4th guest writer. We're looking for more friends to join the cult and write about gigs gigs gigs gigs gigs for us. Let us know of your ideas via Instagram DM, email (notaluciddream@gmail.com) or contact form on our website.