As It Is are one of the biggest pop punk bands smashing the music charts right now. With a sold out show in Birmingham, the Brighton based rockers visited the o2 Institute on the 13th March as part of their okay world tour. Intricately weaving their EPs and albums, As It Is put on a wonderful show that showcased their incredible talent.
No concert is complete without a support act, warming up the stage and getting the fans pumped for the main act. Having toured with As It Is on the US leg of the okay tour, Philly rockers Grayscale were the perfect start. Having recently released their debut album ‘Adornment’, fans were extremely responsive, screaming almost every lyric back at the band. It sure doesn’t look like it will be long before they headline their own shows. Like Pacific and WSTR followed suit, with the audience similarly responding positively. By the time it came to As It Is’ entrance, the crowd were itching for more and already fully engaged in mosh pits.
Opening with ‘Hey Rachel’, okay’s third track, was a smart decision. The upbeat steady song, emotionally discussing an apology to frontman Patty Walter’s sister, enticed the audience for what would be an energetic night. ‘Patchwork Love’ followed, again engulfing cheers from the crowd and opening room for a bigger mosh pit to occur on the floor. It wasn’t until the opening lines of ‘Pretty Little Distance’ that the crowd completely lost it; the audience found its stride, helping each other to crowd surf, and forged what was the start of a mesmerising few hours.
Followed was a selection of tracks from their first debut album, ‘Never Happy, Never After’. Bringing frontman Collin Walsh and guitarist Dallas Molster from Grayscale on stage for ‘Cheap Shots & Setbacks’ was a fan favourite moment and clearly expressed the close and supportive admiration both bands have for each other. ‘Speak Soft’ and ‘Sorry’ were also fan favourites, allowing As It Is to present their musical talent uninterrupted. ‘Winters Weather’ and ‘Curtains Close’ followed, providing an anthesis to the previous upbeat setlist. Despite slowing the setlist down, fans were still crowd surfing; making it a stand out moment of the entire gig.
If the incredible crowd reaction was the highlight of the show, the band’s respect for their fans was a very close second. Guitarist Ben explained how everyone has done things in the past that they’re not proud of – for them, as they’ve gotten older, it’s some of their old tracks from EP’s such as ‘This Mind of Mine’. Regardless, they still played some of those songs, including ‘Bitter, Broken Me’, putting the fans first. It’s refreshing to see a band that genuinely cares as much about their fans as they do about their sound. They were also constantly checking with the audience to ensure that everyone was safe which was very refreshing to see.
The final songs before the encore were ‘Can’t Save Myself’ and ‘Still Remembering’. Both songs balanced the fun, emotional, spectacular aspects of the music As It Is has perfected over the years. Ending the set with ‘okay’ and ‘Dial Tones’ was the perfect ending. The band truly shone throughout the encore, having fun and soaking up the atmosphere for a final time. As It Is truly know how to put on an energetic, yet safe show where all that matters is the love for music and escaping reality for a solid two hours. Nothing else mattered in that room except the music, having fun, and letting go.
Catch As It Is at Slam Dunk this summer, hitting Leeds City Centre, Hatfield Park, and NEC Birmingham 26-28th May 2018.