Photo Credit: Hollie Corton

Ahead of the release of their upcoming third record ‘Boys These Days‘, Cambridge-based band SPORTS TEAM headed out on their UK headline tour in throughout November, treating fans old and new to a variety of songs from not only their forthcoming release, but a ray of fan favourites to give everyone something to shout about.

Opening the show was none other than WELLY. As 2024 is coming to a close, and a release date set for their debut record on the horizon, this served as the perfect opportunity to win over some new fans as they look to grasp 2025 with everything they have. ‘Its Not Like This in France‘ served as a a fantastic opening song that perfectly encapsulated the band’s values. Thriving on positive energy, and a feel-good performance that gave everyone in the room something to hold on to, ‘Soak Up The Culture‘ and ‘Shopping‘, are both lively staples that got those in attendance hooked. ‘Me and Your Mates‘ concluded the bands set, and gave everyone just a brief overview of what WELLY are all about.

After an extremely energetic opening performance, MARY IN THE JUNKYARD took a more subdued approach. Although the trio has not yet released a full-length album, they already have a devoted fan following, so when the record does come out, their fans will be certainly pleased. The graceful song ‘Ghost‘ opened the show, and the Liverpool crowd swayed from side to side and was enthralled with the performance from beginning to end. Their soon-to-be song ‘This Is My California‘ carried on with their easy going musical style before ending their set with the more amiable ‘Tuesday‘.

Known for their captivating live performances, SPORTS TEAM has gained a devoted fan base that isn’t afraid to participate. Starting with ‘The Game‘ from their 2022 album ‘Gulp!‘ the entire crowd burst into cheers. Although there was a lot of excitement on stage, it was nothing compared to what the Liverpool audience had to contribute. Soon after, the band’s unreleased song ‘Bang Bang Bang‘ followed next, alternating between lively vocals and mellow passages before launching into an almighty guitar solo to end the song in grand fashion.

‘The Drop’ served as the second and final song from their 2022 album, indicating that there was still plenty to come, with a host of fan favourites yet to appear, but still time for some of their most recent tracks to be played, including the cheerful summer anthem ‘I’m In Love (Subaru)’. Released a few months prior to the show, it gave fans plenty of time to become acquainted with, and served as a new favourite with the crowd.

The band’s willingness to push boundaries was demonstrated by frontman Ben Rice’s command for the audience to form a human pyramid, with his orders immediately followed and creating a sight that only those at a SPORTS TEAM can truly experience. Mirroring the energy on stage, ‘Fishing‘ allowed the crowd to loosen up once more, whilst Rice pushed his way through the crowd to get up close and personal with the fans, as they welcomed him down to the dance floor to continue with the song.

Their final song of the evening taken from their upcoming release came in the form of ‘Maybe When We’re Thirty‘, which then saw the band exit the stage to build up the excitement of an encore. Soon returning to the stage for three more songs, ‘Here’s The Thing‘ revived the crowd one more. ‘Stanton‘ soon followed, before capping off the night with a cover of ‘Angels‘. Despite a packed venue solely there for a night to be entertained by SPORTS TEAM, it was the Liverpool crowd that really stole the show.