Stand Atlantic @ King Tut's, Glasgow, 1 Apr

King Tut's plays host to Australia's pop-punk up-and-comers Stand Atlantic on a night highlighted by infectious hooks and singalongs

Review by Dylan Tuck | 07 Apr 2019
  • Stand Atlantic

Aussie group Stand Atlantic have really upped the ante over the last year: after signing with Hopeless Records and releasing their debut record Skinny Dipping, this is clearly a good patch of form for the band. Now on UK soil for their first headliner here, there’s a nice buzz about the room in anticipation for a night of pop-punk carnage.  

Vocalist and guitarist Bonnie Fraser stumbles slightly on the first big notes of the chorus to Bullfrog, but quickly amends her mistake, stepping into her stride of slick, effortless cleans, with the added fire of some harsh screams. The latter can’t be heard on record but, in a live setting gives her voice an added edge and a bit of grit that only enhances her bursts. It’s a bit of a clunky opening, but that’s the only sign of error within the whole set.

The crowd are a bit static to begin with, and it takes a couple of tracks before the room loosens up. It’s not until the emphatically catchy chorus of Push blares out that fans' voices are singing louder than Fraser. Tracks like Sidewinder, Skinny Dipping and Chemicals retain the feel-good factor, with plenty of bodies jumping and moshing in the middle of the room. That's one of the best things about this band so far tonight, the infectious nature of their tracks on record transition nicely into a live setting.

The group are known for being tongue-in-cheek on social media and it's the same in person, not taking themselves too seriously and laughing and engaging with their loyal fans in the room. Someone throws a beanie hat at in Fraser's direction, embroidered with the words ‘basic bitch’ – "that’s pretty accurate, actually", she jokingly agrees, donning the hat for a couple of songs. 

The slow tones of Toothpick quietens things down for a brief moment. Fraser introduces the track by revealing the title originates from her comparing the pain she felt to that of jamming a toothpick under her toenail and kicking a wall – an image that is pretty hard to get out of your head, as the crowd groan at the thought. The slow moment breaks the set up well however, giving a further chance to hear the more gentle qualities of Fraser’s voice.

Towards the end of the set, Lost My Cool gets the warmest reception of the night, as fans scream back: 'Your words are full of shit / I hope you swallow it'with an angsty emphasis on 'shit' (of course). An encore of the band’s two biggest singles to date in the relentless Coffee At Midnight and prime pop-punk anthem Lavender Bones ends the night on a high.

King Tut's is perfect for these types of energetic punk rock shows, and while the atmosphere hasn’t been totally electric tonight, Stand Atlantic still know how to pull off a solid set regardless.

http://standatlantic.com