Roam - Live @ Rock City (Basement), Nottingham w/ Like Pacific 14/11/2016

Cait Briggs and Ryan Winstanley Photography catch Roam with Like Pacific live at Nottingham's Rock City (Basement).

The first time I encountered Eastbourne pop punk’s Roam was at Sheffield’s student union in 2015, playing to a handful of fans alongside their peers Boston Manor and These Minds. Since then, the five-piece have flourished, appearing on huge bills such as Warped Tour and Reading and Leeds Festival, as well as hitting Australia with fellow pop punks With Confidence. I visited Nottingham’s Rock City Basement to see how far the guys had come, in terms of performance, as well as confidence.

Main support Like Pacific opened up the night, with lead man Jordan Black fronting a familiar tongue in cheek attitude. Showcasing hits from the recent LP, 'Distant Like You Asked', such as 'Richmond' and 'Worthless Case', suggested a very positive future for the Canadian five piece. Generic themes of emotions and relationships were present throughout, making this a pop punk fan’s heaven. As well as hosting the new album, tracks from their self-titled EP saw the most committed singing along to every word. A well-rounded set showed promise for these guys, despite never visiting the UK before.

Roam opened their headline set with 'Cabin Fever' showcasing the band’s relentless amount of energy in the first five minutes, whilst showing promise of a much sharper structure than previous live performances I’d seen. Frontman Alex Costello gave the fans instant fulfilment with non-stop energy and passion, with the crowd at full charge for this set, finger pointing and screaming every word. The infectious energy made it almost impossible to not sing along, with singles such as 'Hopeless Case' and 'Warning Sign' sending pop punk fans into meltdown.

It’s impossible to ignore the enthusiasm and passion that oozes out of this band, which certainly created an unforgettable experience for the dedicated fans, singing each and every word back to Costello. Every song was embraced by the audience, showing just how far the boys had come from playing to a handful of fans last summer. Final song 'Deadweight' is the perfect end to an energy-fuelled night, with fans from front to back flying over the barrier to sing along with Costello.

The UK pop punk wave may be in full bloom, but Roam’s live shows breathe new  life into the  flourishing scene.

Roam


Like Pacific