LIVE REVIEW: As It Is @ KOKO, London
Being forced to cancel their previous date in Cardiff due to immediate medical care, AS IT IS left nervous anticipation as to whether their sold out London show would go ahead. Much to fans delight, vocalist Patty Walters was in recovery and ready to close the curtains on their End Of Okay tour in an exciting fashion. We caught their most anticipated date at London’s KOKO for a night of some of the hottest pop-punk.
Opening the show was American pop-punk band, GRAYSCALE. Although being first on the bill can be a hard task, the excitement comes from not just sounding tight but also having some audience interaction. Unfortunately for them they didn’t appear to interact with the crowd, and while the mood was set high for the night, it left the performance feeling like it was kept short and sweet.
Rating: 7/10
Continuing the support were upcoming Canadian pop-punkers, LIKE PACIFIC. At this point the energy of the audience seemed to have picked up, making the overall vibe excitable. Playing their new single Sedatives, off their upcoming record, the crowd seemed more engaged and helped carry vocalist Jordan Black‘s voice, which was slightly drowned out by the music. Giving an energetic stage presence LIKE PACIFIC played an enjoyable performance.
Rating: 7/10
The penultimate performance of the night was Liverpudlian band WSTR. Each member looked thrilled to being the main support for AS IT IS, playing with content. Playing some of their most popular hits such as Graveyard Shift and Footprints, the audience were in the full swing of things, determined to make this a memorable event. With a nice mix from their album Red, Green or In Between and their EP SKRWD on the set list, the band put on an entertaining show and set the stage nicely for the evening’s headliners.
Rating: 8/10
The most anticipated moment of the night drew in as vocalist Patty Walters rocked up on stage in a sling with ‘It’s okay to not be okay’ written on it. It was a nice touch from his illness to the end of an era with their album Okay. Despite being held back physically, Walters remained positive throughout the show and tried his hardest to give his best performance and it worked to wonderful effect. The performance was absolutely outstanding, performing some classics from their debut album, 2015’s Never Happy, Ever After, and some of their newer material from last year’s Okay. Kick-starting the night with the up-tempo Hey Rachel, then adding slower and emotive songs such as Winter’s Weather, something they haven’t played in years. AS IT IS kept the momentum flowing effortlessly throughout their set. Guitarist Ben Langfordbiss was a humble figure, explaining how ecstatic they all were to perform in one of their favourite venues, even more so as it was sold out, and it came across as truly genuine. After many interactions with the crowd about mental health, a much-need talking point in today’s musical climate, Walters announced their new album had just been finished, adding more excitement from the crowd and ending the night with the loud, exciting Dial Tones marked the end to a brilliant performance from AS IT IS.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in London from Jordan Darby here:
