Natalie Brown
25/06/22
Waterparks
After filming their only live concert DVD in Birmingham 2019, Waterparks came back for a stunning show at the O2 Academy on 25th June 2022.
They didn’t waste any time, bursting on stage with the lively ‘Stupid for you’ and followed straight away with ‘watch what happens next’, getting the crowd jumping and screaming lyrics instantly, preparing them for the great show ahead.
The Netflix show ‘Heartstopper’ finally allowed us to hear ‘telephone’ live which was definitely worth the wait, the live version feeling much more special than the studio version. Jawn curated perfect visuals, accompanying this song flawlessly adding an interesting and creative touch to the show as a whole.
‘Fuzzy’ seems to be more of a calmer track when listening at home but when played live, it gave Awsten a chance to highlight his amazing vocal range. Otto’s repeated hits on the snare drum followed by bright flashing lights added intensity to the song making it more enjoyable.
Awsten bought his typical amusing personality after the crowd chanted for ‘turbulent’ he put his phone to the mic and played the recorded version, stopping half way to let everyone know it was the clean version, received laughter from the audience. This didn’t just happen once but twice during the show. Sadly, Otto did cut the second time short as ‘they hadn’t got time for it’, swiftly continuing with the set.
At a fans request Awsten played ‘The secret life of me’ on acoustic guitar, letting the crowd’s voices sing the lyrics. This was the first time the song was played live this tour, adding a unique moment to the set with a tranquil atmosphere.
They ended the show with ‘Turbulent’, this time played live not through Awstens’ phone. This was clearly a fan favourite considering this was the third time it was played during one set. This time, the addition of smoke cannons, rawer vocals and crowd surfing made for a very exciting end.
After seeing their first U.K show of the ‘See you in the future tour’ in Leeds, I couldn’t resist returning for another and I wasn’t disappointed. Despite already seeing a similar set, this show felt completely different, Awstens stage presence aiding in that. This show was certainly worth attending for the amount of energy Waterparks bought to the stage. This particular show stood out due to the crowd interaction, the band taking their time to look around and talking to people in the stalls and balcony too.
Overall, the consideration for the unique visuals, Awstens humorous additions and perfect instrumentals made this concert a memorable experience.
Comments