Abi Kara-Fernandes
Headlining Rock City with support acts Courting and University of Nottingham’s very own graduates Blondes, Sports Team finally graced the stage for the postponed leg of their Deep Down Happy tour. Abi Kara-Fernandes shares her thoughts.
It’s safe to say the performance was definitely worth the wait. Having unfortunately just missed Courting’s set (although I heard many great things, as per usual), Blondes truly pumped up the crowd further, even giving a nod to their Nottingham roots by encouraging the crowd to take off their shirts and swing them around their heads. As a long-standing classic Ocean tradition for UON and Trent attendees alike, it is undeniably gradually also becoming a Blondes tradition for their song Out the Neighbourhood. Unsurprisingly, their TikTok sensation Coming of Age also particularly warmed the crowd, as everyone sang in harmony along with frontman Will Potter.
moshing and bouncing virtually non-stop, creating the perfect energy in the smoky arena
In high spirits after Blondes, the wait for Sports Team’s appearance flew by, as they crashed onto stage with Here it Comes Again. As chaotic as ever, the crowd matched the band’s punchy performance, moshing and bouncing virtually non-stop, creating the perfect energy in the smoky arena.
Hearing the raw vocals of Alex Rice’s husky tones in Long Hot Summer particularly gave me a new appreciation for the song, something that is always one of my favourite happy by-products of live music.
Another highlight for me had to be the little snippet of a cover of The Wannadies’ You & Me Song we were treated to, before a smooth transition into Ski Lifts. As their lengthy set list neared to the end and they exited the stage, I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed that they’d missed my all time favourite Kutcher.
The encore, however, satisfied my craving for a live rendition of the tune, with the band delivering not just one, but three more tunes, including another fan favourite Here’s The Thing, as well as Kutcher and Stanton.
As the gig came to a close, Robbie Williams’s Angels drifted through the air as everyone held each other close and sang along, the perfect starter to the night as we headed to karaoke at Rescue Rooms next door.
Abi Kara-Fernandes
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image courtesy of @rockcitynottingham via @instagram.com. No changes were made to this image.
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