I’ve seen some gigs this year but Sports Team on Monday night was right up there maybe even the best I’ve seen over this long, long year.
It’s incredible to think that a band without an album out yet managed to sell out the Riverside, the third-largest music venue in the city, but that is a testament to the music that the London based band produce.
Since the release of their 2017 debut single Stanton the band has only grown in stature regularly being found on ones to watch lists.
The fast-paced indie tunes matched with the genius lyrics of which stick in your mind from the first listen does prove that you can go far as long as you have the music.
It is all this which makes their rising status so much more believable. However, Sports Team isn’t just a band which produces excellent music but can also bring it to their live shows as well.
The band got everything right on Wednesday night bringing their unique approach to indie to the Toon.
Visually, the flower-laden set and lights show are welcome but nothing out of the ordinary, where the band excels is their own personal performance from Ben Mack masterclass on the keyboards which is as unique as anyone.
But where Sports Team really excels as a live band can be found in their frontman, Alex Rice.
Rice is perhaps the finest up and coming frontman I’ve seen delivering the energy needed to propel these amazing songs into the stratosphere.
Whether it climbing speaker stack, crowd surfing or good old incomprehensible gestures to those watching him. He truly is mesmerizing to watch.
Speaking to people outside the gig it’s clear that fans agree with many displaying their love with vivid sexual imagery.
Whilst the gig was amazing, there was some unsavoury scenes whilst the crowd, for the most part, were incredible, one punter failed to see the whole gig due to being hit by a flying glass (seen below).
No one wants to see it and similar events are becoming a growing problem at indie gigs with a girl being burnt by a flare at Liam Gallagher and the various complaints about flares which have been made during the latest run of Catfish and the Bottlemen gigs.
Whilst different dickish behaviour was seen at Sports Team last night, it is part of a bigger problem currently facing this genre’s fans.
However, this is not the problem of the bands, who have responded brilliantly to it but more to do with educating the toxic set of fans which feel like this is acceptable.
Despite this Sports Team hit a home run on Monday night and I can’t wait to see what their new album will sound like especially after seeing a preview of some of the new songs last night.
Humbug North East 