Sports Team come out of the Wardrobe with a bang
On the run of their ‘Boys These Days’ tour, Eszter Vida reviews their art rock/post-punk band’s sold out return to Leeds’ iconic The Wardrobe.
Our story begins in 2021. Post-pandemic. Neighbourhood Weekender in Warrington. The 2 most depressing combinations of places and times to be alive, set right on the field I used to get pissed on to speakers blaring Arctic Monkeys, aged 16. Alex Rice launching himself into a crowd of Twitter fiends, because let’s face it – no lad from Warrington is ever self-identifying with the Cambridge grads uniformed in polo sweatshirts (but we’ll return to my point on target audiences later, don’t snap at me just yet). It feels like Sports Team are always there for the satire of it all just when we need them.
Now 2024. We’re still in the thick of political turmoil. The Wardrobe in Leeds. Sports Team always seems to be on a run of following up a multitude of global disasters with a new album cycle each time, and I think that oddly sums up the nature of this band. Without being too ambiguous, post-punk bands are now having to keep up with the times, in fear of cancellation or industry plant comparisons. God forbid, we want more authenticity from label backed artists.
Known for their dynamic, high energy sets, Sports Team are a band that play into the satire of being a British band. It’s no wonder that the home city of Gang of Four at a venue right next to a music university producing an identical entourage of bands sells out in an instant. But in this live setting, the performance felt like we were all in on the joke, poking fun of privilege and everyone’s individual place in the current state-of-affairs. We’re a long way from Aldershot, but Leeds is exactly the melting pot where indie bands thrive upon the legacy of the ones that came before them in its historic scene. It’s only the merry homecoming of drummer Al Greenwood.
The support for this tour reflects the best of up-coming bands, brewed in the same art-rock sphere. Mary in the Junkyard is no exception, with their gothic, new wave sound and their magnetic hold on the crowd. The room quickly filled in anticipation, whether you were swarming at the front, warming up at the bar or clawing through the awkward staircase barriers that lead to the pit section of the Wardrobe.
Bursting on first with ‘Camel Crew’, they knew to play to their dedicated fans’ appetites and to feed them well with their classics. The crowd instantly connected with old favourites like ‘Happy (God’s Own Country)’, ‘Lander’ and of course, ‘M5’. There was not an air molecule between us all in the pit as the room exploded into madness and the camaraderie of the band on stage sweeped the room entirely.
Building up heat for their 3rd album Boys These Days, I can safely say it’s one to look forward to just from the recent single release of ‘I’m In Love (Subaru)’. It’s Rice’s facade and the irony of the lyrics he sings that embraces their unapologetic nature of leaning to more new wave and pop influences like Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music. The rest of the instrumentalists, composed of Greenwood on drums, Rob Knaggs on vocals and guitar, bassist Oli Dewdney are the centre of pushing the tempo while keyboardist Ben Mack debuts flashy synthesisers next to the other tracks’ signature punchy riffs, played by guitarist Henry Young. The live performances can be unpredictable, and tonight’s setlist of new and old shows testament to embracing their evolving sound as a group.
Some memorable moments from being in the crowd: getting bit in the mosh pit, the lack of deodorant, the erupting combat in the pit. You couldn’t get this from any other band’s tour. The two most optimistic conclusions: Sports Team are back with a promising third record and there’s nothing that sums up the relief of seeing them back in action than the tweet used by the band to announce this tour in the first place below.
Words by Eszter Vida
