Almost a year and a half since Mayday Parade's last UK headline tour - where I managed to convince the 'rents to part way with money for meet and greet tickets - the Tallahassee quintet returned to our flooded shores for another run of shows.
Arriving just in time to miss the majority of the queue and escape the worst of the rain we secured a good spot for the first band of the night Divided By Friday. Unfamiliar with their music beforehand it didn't take long to get into their infectious tunes and with frontman Jose Villanueva clad in a suit it was impossible not to think of Panic! At The Disco. Playing with genre boundaries their music was pop enough to land a radio spot one day, whilst not seeming out of place amongst pop-punk Decade who were next to take to the stage.
Jolt magazine's first ever cover band did not disappoint. Playing a set mostly consisting of tracks from their new album Good Luck, their energy was full of enthusiasm and although the mostly pre-teen crowd weren't entirely taken with the heavier side to pop-punk it was impossible for everyone not to join in jumping around. Younger crowds are not easy to get on your side but Decade managed it proving that they are more than capable of becoming leaders of the pop-punk scene and should be on everyone's watch list.
The last band before the long awaited headliners were Man Overboard. Eagerly waiting for this moment for months now I could barely contain my excitement at just the thought of finally seeing them live after so many failed attempts in the past. Quickly the floor became rowdy with barely any pre-teens in sight as guys flocked to form a mosh pit. Pop-punk singalongs were had with all too relevant 'Atlas' and 'Dead End Dreams' whilst newer tracks like 'White Lies' saw the pits let loose. One of the highlights of the night was of course witnessing one of the greatest acoustic songs live - 'Love Your Friends, Die Laughing.' With a near perfect set list - playing pretty much all my favourite songs - Man Overboard well and truly ensured we were warmed up and ready for Mayday Parade.
Opening with 'Ghosts' the crowd bellowed back the lyrics before going wild when the music kicked in. In typical Mayday Parade fashion their set was an emotional roller coaster that started on the ground and kept on plummeting into the earth. 'When You See My Friends' was followed on by the stunning '12 Through 15' and just when I was starting to think I couldn't handle anymore of the emotional battering, the pace switched upbeat for the poppy 'Girls' and 'Black Cat' with it's work-out of a chorus.
Desperately needing a breather the set took a welcome slowing down for sob inducing triple threat of 'Miserable At Best,' 'Stay' and 'Hold Onto Me.' Even playing the saddest songs in their repertoire the guys' grins were unstoppable at the pure delight at playing and seeing the crowds' passionate response to their music. Their happiness contagious, the band finished the night with the first song they ever wrote together 'Three Cheers For Five Years' and 'Oh Well, Oh Well' before disappearing off stage. The "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" chant began almost immediately and not long after they returned for the real last song of the night 'Jersey.'
Overall, it was a fantastic night of pop, punk and pop-punk perfection with set lists and performances from all four bands that didn't let anyone down. Here's hoping it's not long before they're all back again gracing our stages.
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