LIVE REVIEW: Junior @ The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

2019 has been a monumental triumph for the indie pop-punk trio JUNIOR. Along with the arrival of their first full length LP they’ve been bouncing from city to city on their latest tour run, rising above the limitations of being another cliché pop-punk band with their vivacious new sound weaving its way into their live performances, resulting in a surreal and hedonistic celebration of life and a rollercoaster of emotions.

First on the bill was CHLORINE, a five-piece alternative rock collective. It’s unfortunate to say but there are very little words to be spared for CHLORINE as their set got cut after the fifth song due to a malfunctioning error. To their credit, their punky spirit and lively energy were refreshing in the first quarter, but it was a shame for audiences who didn’t get to experience their gritty rock and roll tenacity in full effect as they scrambled around the stage. Efforts were appreciated amongst the hungry audience but there was definitely a lingering taste of awkwardness and confusion left around the room.

Rating: 5/10

Another band rooted in their Birmingham heritage was RUBIO, who managed to immediately pick up the once lost pace as they scaled the room with a boastful surge of ecstatic energy that animated a once dull crowd. Though they lack an extensive discography, with only six songs available for streaming, they make up for such with their phenomenal stage presence that has its own defining moment with each track, giving the audience time review the emotional lyrics comforted by pillows of bouncy riffs and a catchy drum beat. As a band, they hail to everything the underground DIY scene was built on, diversity and unique perspectives. The five-piece collective is assembled of a diverse cast, something different to your typical white-washed pop-punk band, and that unique individuality followed through in their music as they played a devilish dance between somber harmonies that culminated into low, pounding riffs that enthralled audiences who had to think “what will they do next?”

Rating: 7/10

Marking their one-off reunion show, YOU KNOW THE DRILL brought the heat with an upbeat, off the wall performance that was both chaotic and amusing as you’d expect from this plucky Birmingham four-piece. The band ambushed the stage with their catchy track Outcast, but in the spirit of DIY events like this, of course, something went wrong. After three powercuts the show finally marched on which made it all the more satisfying to audiences when they scrapped through the first song, sending fans into an uproar of excitement. Already they have an easily digestible pop-punk sound that isn’t too simplified that its bone dry of creativity but has sprinkles of unique quirks that leave for unexpected turns in their live performances and overall resonated well with the crowd. Though all good things come to an end, and YOU KNOW THE DRILL left on a somewhat bittersweet note. It was a great performance, fans can only hope there’s more in the future.

Rating: 8/10

Racking up almost six years as a power-punk trio, this show felt like the pinnacle moment for JUNIOR’s career. Coming off the bat with their first full-length LP can be a daunting experience, but nothing more could assure them that they’ve secured a vision of success with a room packed to its brim like a can of sardines screeching an off-pitch tune to their tracks louder than them, it was a breathtaking moment. JUNIOR commanded the stage with their charismatic personalities that elevated the room, immediately as they hit the floor the crowd leaped into a whole new wave of excitement. Their on-stage personalities are something to be said of, it’s more than talent to encapsulate a room in such awe of your own presence and yet, Mark Andrews and Matt Attard grappled the audiences so effortlessly from each side of the stage.

Though they’re branded as ‘pop punk’ JUNIOR defy the limitations of genre which make for interesting performances, leaping from a sad sombre song into an upbeat, outrageous rhythm leads to a rapid culmination of exhilaration. It’s a roller-coaster experience, the highs of which are the joyful tracks that were easy for the audience to dance along to, and the lows of which were the sinking feeling of the emotionally vulnerable lyrics that give the band depth and separate them from any generic pop-punk band. Pouring with sweat, tears and other bodily fluids, the sheer passion and devotion to their craft emulated throughout their performance. There was no doubt from the fans that JUNIOR lived, breathed and existed just for these singular moments of playing the songs they worked so hard on for the people they love. It gave a homely vibe and wrapped the night into a warming close.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Birmingham from Yasmine Summan here: