The Sound Of Anarchy

All Time Low – O2 Academy, Leeds 7/03/11

 Kicking off the show with a slightly unusual, yet creative start, with a sound clip taken from the movie Home Alone, the young Baltimore four piece hit the stage. The tumultuous screams and cheers emanating from the waiting crowd signalled the band’s presence – they were welcomed like heroes. Opening the show with Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal (perhaps a Home Alone inspired title), the band continually knocked out hit after hit, covering a wide range of material from their back catalogue, including old favourites Jasey Rae and Six Feet Under The Stars, to newer material, including the massive single, Lost In Stereo. The set was delightfully upbeat, keeping the atmosphere alive throughout the whole show. Only towards the end of the night did the band begin to slow things down, leaving frontman and lead singer, Alex Gaskarth, alone on stage to close the set with Remembering Sunday, before returning for the encore.

    During the set, the band showcased their first single, Time Bomb, from their upcoming album, Dirty Work, which went down a storm. Fans excitedly sang and danced along to the new number, with many already knowing the words. Indeed, All Time Low have certainly acquired a rather devoted following over the years. With every one of their UK dates sold out, I have no doubt that they could have quite easily played in an arena setting. This band look set to well and truly break into the mainstream, and with the promise of a more serious and grown-up record on the cards, they have the potential to broaden their appeal to wider audiences. Currently, they do appear to be attracting a mass of young, screaming girls, appealing to a predominantly teen audience, and despite claims of ‘growing up,’ their antics on stage seem to explain their teenage appeal. With the light-hearted, jokey banter between sets, and the adorning of half a dozen bras around the microphone stand, it’s clear this band are 

still embracing their youth.

There’s no denying that the members of this band put 100% into everything they do. They throw so much energy and enthusiasm into their shows, never stopping to pause and stand still. Most of their time is spent bopping and jumping about, as well as frequently yelling at the crowd to join in – although fans didn’t need much encouragement. The bands roadies occasionally took to the stage to take over guitar, giving lead singer, Alex, the freedom to run and dance around, as well allowing guitarist, Jack Barakat, to greet some luckily (and seemingly thrilled) fans at the front of the crowd.

As you can imagine, All Time Low’s shows are extremely lively, with a huge emphasis on simply having fun. With their catchy, vibrant, sing-along style songs, this band just makes you want to join and party. And that’s exactly what people did.

Look out for All Time Low’s upcoming album, Dirty Work, due for release in May.


Some video clips taken from the show:

The New Single, Time Bomb, from the upcoming album Dirty Work

Weightless


**As seen in The Motion Online**