Lower Than Atlantis are currently
storming the UK Watford four-piece are busier than ever.
Est.1987 headed down to Leeds Met to check out
what their live show had to offer.
And, stay tuned to watch what happened
when we sat down with the guys pre-show to chat about touring, the new single
and who’s best at FIFA. Video Interview
and exclusive photo shoot coming soon…
Lower
Than Atlantis are well known for their live shows, combining their strong
melodies with raw on-stage energy which drives the crowd in the frenzied pit. With
this reputation that precedes them they successfully built a strong following, which
saw them going from strength to strength and sign a deal with Island Records. So
we were excited to see what their Leeds Met show would entail, as the large
crowd which snaked around the venue long before the doors were due to open.
Although
the room is only two thirds full this evening you wouldn’t know it judging from
both the band and crowd’s reaction. Lower Than Atlantis storm the stage and
start as they mean to go on. The soaring “Love Someone Else” begins the set
before being rudely interrupted thirty seconds in as a fight breaks out in the
crowd. Frontman Mike Duce stops mid-song before pulling a Dave Grohl on the culprit
who threw the punch. “Not at our f*****g gig” shouts Mike, before having
security remove the man, much to the approval of the crowd who cheer. And with
that out of the way the gig resumes from where it left off. The rest of the set
runs smoothly and without any more hitches, and by the mid point the crowd is
in full spirit and enthusiasm as the pit erupts. The night is filled with a mix
of Lower Than Atlantis classics from the insanely catchy “PMA” to the shorter
and punchy “Marilyn’s Mansion”. “If you want something that much, go out and
get it. This next song’s about exactly that”, preaches Mike before bursting
into the protest rock anthem “Go On Strike”. The highlight and crowd favourite comes in the form of infectious and
anthemic hit single “If The World Was To End”. Slowing things down a little,
all the band but Mike leave the stage as he serenades the crowd with ballad
“Another Sad Song”.
As
someone in the crowd shouts an ode to recently split band “Your Demise” it
sparks a nice moment as Mike regales us with a story of how Your Demise gave
them their first tour, and how Oz gave Mike his first ever guitar lesson at
school. And after not one but two encores (due to a slight mix up which the
band laughs off) the band finally finishes off with an exhilarating cover of
Electric Six’s “Gay Bar”, much to the crowd’s delight, before ending with
“Deadliest Catch” which fluctuates in tempo and perfectly holds down the band’s
rock rhythms infused with pop sensibilities.
Huge
choruses, catchy melodies with an edge of harder elements ensure that each song
is just as engrossing as the next. Aggressive and confident, tonight Lower Than
Atlantis are very slick and rehearsed. The set is tight and although not as
spontaneous as expected this is definitely not a bad thing as Lower Than
Atlantis prove that they have stepped up their game once again. 8/10
Photo credit: Danny Peart Photography
