Photo Credit: Press

Australian punk rock band TROPHY EYES made their first full tour return to the UK since 2017 with a run of dates across April to give the eagerly anticipated fans a taste of songs from their most recent album ‘Suicide and Sunshine’, but also delivering a host of throwbacks to please the OG’s.

London punk group OUT OF LOVE kicked things off with an energetic performance that combined elements of hardcore and punk rock in short bursts with a host of sharp songs from their catalogue. Frontman Jack Rogers’ constant movement showed that the energy was felt across the stage, with plenty of folk in attendance getting into the set very early on. Tracks including ‘No Fakes Allowed’ and ‘Welcome to the Luv’ earned a positive reception across the Yorkshire crowd.

Following an incredible opening act, Scottish pop punk quartet HAPPYDAZE were up next. Even though their songs are far more upbeat, it was still a fantastic fit for this tour’s line-up. They treated the audience to a number of brand-new songs as well as a few selections from their earlier tunes, all while maintaining the same level of enthusiasm throughout their set. There were a sizable number of fans singing along scattered across the venue, with tracks ‘Bad Taste’ and ‘Go Wrong’ becoming huge hits on the night as they got the place bouncing just as if it was their own intimate headline slot.

After a brief interval, fans’ longing for TROPHY EYES‘ UK return was eventually fulfilled. The place exploded after the lights went off. The crowd were already pumped up as the quartet made their way on to the stage to the sound of ‘Thunderstruck‘ blaring over the PA. Opening the set with the energetic, ‘Blue Eyed Boy‘, it soon everyone became a free for all as the floor opened up. The whole crowd were yelling the lyrics back to John Floreani, all whilst he was leaping across the podium in an Air Jordan craze. ‘Figure Eight‘ followed suit, maintaining the excitement in the room and keeping the energy on stage.

To the joy of the crowd, TROPHY EYES rolled back the years with ‘Suicide Pact‘ whilst the classy ‘What Hurts the Most‘ was welcomed as though it were a timeless classic, judging by the reaction of the Leeds crowd. In the limited time he had to spare, John Floreani gave a touching speech in which he revealed that the band had nearly broken up a few years ago because they thought they had had taken the band as far as they could. However, judging by the reception the band received upon their return to the UK, it is obvious that there is still life in this party. The Yorkshire chants began to fill the room, and it wasn’t long until normal service was resumed.

Continuing with the set, tracks including ‘Choke‘ and ‘OMW‘ kept accelerating as the night went on, setting the tone for ‘Chlorine‘, which appeared shortly after to a huge roar across the room. TROPHY EYES brought their forceful performance to a close with the nearly ten-year-old hit ‘Bandaid‘, effectively turning back the clock and capping a welcomed return once and for all.