Take Me Back: All Time Low

It seems like all I ever write about is seeing All Time Low live. But then again having seen them five times there's always plenty to write about, so last night at Bristol 02 Academy is going to be no exception. Unless we include Reading it was to be the first time me and Megan saw them without my Dad in tow to scream all the swear words as loud as he can and laugh manically at their terrible (they're actually hilarious) jokes. 

We only live about an hour from Bristol and doors were at 7 so most people would leave about 6-ish but due to our track record with getting horrifically lost we left my house at 1:30. The journey to Bristol is one that my family and I do often and I swear to you I know the way off by heart but 40 minutes later when we get near Bristol one wrong turn sent us over the toll bridge we wished to avoid and from there we spent a good hour trying to find our way to where we needed to be. We followed signs to the city centre and ended up driving back towards Bath. We followed signs to Clifton and still ended up driving towards Bath. We turned around and drove in the complete opposite direction AND YET WE WERE STILL DRIVING TOWARDS BATH. You get our frustration. The GPS on my phone was useless and drained my battery as was following the bus going to the city centre. I phoned my dad so he could laugh at us and my attempts to keep Meg from having a panic attack behind the wheel proved successful when we finally pulled into the college car park. 

Our misfortune was not to end there. The ticket machines had been changed and now you have to enter the numbers of your cars registration and we couldn't decide whether the registration on Delilah was 1's or I's. And trying to work out how much we had to pay to stay until midnight was a whole other issue and when finally we did the machine decided we weren't allowed a ticket and nor could we have our £9 back. 15 minutes later and my bladder was at bursting point and the ticket machine was going to get a swift punch when we realised it had given us our money back and we sussed out how to use it. Dashing through the streets of Bristol we made it to a pub just in time. I was about 0.00005 seconds from literally wetting myself. 

Our next crisis came in the form of the lack of a Wagamama's in Cribbs Causeway and having to settle for Giraffe who despite me asking for no mozzarella still put cheese on my pasta. Wasting time was our aim for the next two hours which we achieved successfully when another trip to the loo resulted in some thieving bitch nicking Megan's practically brand new Blackberry. Abusive voice mails left we headed back towards the car where we sat for a while before heading out to join the masses of people queued up. 

You'd think that other than the cold our day might start getting a little better as we were queuing to see a band that feel like home to us but no, nope, not allowed. We were rammed between every stereotypical fourteen year old (the princess, the scene kid, the annoying one... you know what I mean) and the loudest most stupid most infuriating group ever to exist. Ever. Ever. Ever. We had to cope with this for an hour and twenty minutes and they were the most painful of my life. 

Outside the doors we saw our security guard friend (his hair is much longer than last year, a wig we think) and when we got inside we made our way to the loos again (we live in them I swear). The first band of the night was The Summer Set and they were part way through their second song when we secured a spot in the pit. Their music isn't particularly innovative or breathtaking but what they do offer is infectious pop tunes and a good time which was evident in the excitable crowd. A surprise was in store for what was a young predominantly female crowd when the band turned Bruno Mars' "Locked Out Of Heaven" into a rockier tune. 

The second band to play was England's very own melodic rock group Lower Than Atlantis. I didn't think that they would get a warm welcome from the crowd as they are much heavier than the other bands but I was pleasantly surprised when the teeny bopper kids vanished and became a whole bunch of large guys determined to open a mosh pit. They opened with "Love Someone Else" a song with lyrics that get straight to the point, "Incessantly expressing myself lyrically so literally has lead the listener to believe they have perceived the real me" which is one of the things I love about LTA. They are down-to-earth real guys which is highlighted later in their set when Mike Duce tells the crowd that before they started a band they had normal every day jobs such as selling Chinese and, er, eating Chinese. They played a good combination of songs from their three albums including slow song "Another Sad Song" showcasing that even when they're stripped back they have talent. Twice in the set  Mike took someone's phone to speak to a girl called Becca and both times she didn't answer. She now has a voice mail of Mike laughing whilst saying "thanks for making me look like a prick in front of all these people." Lets hope she doesn't get her phone nicked too. 

"Somewhere In Neverland" was All Time Low's opener which sent the crowd - suddenly a bunch a teeny tiny girls again - into a frenzy. The Peter Pan inspired song drew attention to the fact we were surrounded by people younger than us chaperoned by their parents and yet we don't want to have to grow up. Feeling old at eighteen is really quite depressing. The crowd belted back the speaking part of "Forget About It", grew nostalgic during "For Baltimore" and went nuts at "Heroes" a true pop-punk tune with epic drumming from Rian. By this point Jack's guitar stand was covered in bra's and I had lost count of the dick jokes. The stage is clearly where the foursome belong.

Again my in-adequateness was pointed out to me when Alex decided to mention the fact they wrote "Jasey Rae" when they were seventeen. If there is anyone who can explain to me why some people ooze musical talent and others (me) have none when they are desperate to be in a band (me) then feel free. Other crowd pleasers were played such as "Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)" and "Coffee Shop Soundtrack" as well as newer songs from Don't Panic "If These Sheets Were The States" all of which elicited raucous screams from the fan girls. All Time Low then slowed it down and played "Remembering Sunday" full band which could only have been better had Juliet Simms joined them - which probably would have been a bad idea as I would have been reduced to a puddle of human or at least stopped breathing which due to a nasty cold and asthma is a struggle at the moment anyway. And then for the first time ever I heard "Therapy" live and it was perfection. Not even the group of girls behind me who were having some ridiculous drama trying to get their friends' attention could ruin it. After the song Jack managed to get in another joke this time stating "Give it up for Alex. He could have any girl he wanted and yet he picked me." Picking the speed back up again with "Lost In Stereo" "Backseat Serenade" and "Time Bomb" All Time Low proved once again that they know how to work the crowd. Disappearing offstage to allow the crazed fans to stomp and yell for an encore the band bounced back with "The Reckless And The Brave" "Weightless" and then finished for real this time with "Dear Maria, Count Me In" which was no surprise to old timers.

As per usual the lights that accompanied All Time Low's set were just as good as the bands' performance and despite the level of annoying the crowds are starting to get I will never tire of seeing the four live. They're a band that you can have fun with and yet you also know they actually do care. 

We waited half heartedly in the cold to see them after but having met them before we weren't too fussed. Eventually Jack came out but the ever growing size of the barriers meant we couldn't really be bothered to fight our way through hordes of screeching girls to see him. On the way back to the car we passed Matt Flyzik and managed to restrain ourselves from harassing him - but only just. 

And just in case you wanted to know we did start driving the wrong way home again but we had the Les Mis soundtrack playing so who really cares.

For a less fangirly review click here...