1,299 WATERPARKS, Stand Atlantic, Cardiff University Great Hall, Friday 3rd November 2023

 

A hectic 8-gig November kicks off with a double with daughter Jami, the first being bouncy Texan trio Waterparks! Since J “discovered” them thanks to their track “Telephone” featuring on “Heartstopper”, their CDs have seen heavy rotation on the car stereo; well, whenever Jami fancies a change from their beloved Tay-Tay, that is! Waterparks stock-in-trade is a colourful and bouncy hot mess “kitchen sink and all” melting pot of So-Cal pop punk/ emo lite, US alt-indie guitar, catchy boy band hooks, even hip hop, rap and pulsing garage beats. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t… actually they’re a pretty decent band with a few fairly palatable songs, so I was happy to get tix for a non-school night trip to this one, the nearest they came to the ‘don on their UK tour supporting recent album “Intellectual Property”. And as an extra treat for Jami, I booked tix for the pre-gig “meet and greet” event, because, why the hell not? 

Jami threw an unexpected spanner in the works by straining their calf muscle, but luckily was mobile enough to make the gig, albeit on crutches! So, I picked them up after school for an arduous diversion- and traffic affected run, parking up outside the venue after a 2½ hour journey! Yikes! This however merely meant we were at the back of the slow-moving meet and greet queue, the band laudably spending time chatting with each group. For our turn, singer Awsten Knight gave J a warm hug and recorded a brief video for their friend, whilst I shook hands with guitarist Geoff Wigington and drummer Otto Wood and briefly chatted about the Texas Rangers’ World Series win. One pic and a short wait later, we were off to the balcony disabled viewing section, house right, whence Jami made fast friends with Violette, there with mum! Support band, Australians Stand Atlantic joined us at 8.15m playing a hard-thumping set of bright jumpabout pop punk, an early “Pity Party” a highlight with a stripped back verse building into a soaring powerpop chorus, lustily sung back by the crowd. Clearly a well-known band to the young black-clad, dyed hair Waterparks massive, their thudding set, enthusiastically delivered by eager vocalist Bonnie Fraser and her boys, reminded me of Bostonians Waltham and Damone, with hints of emo goth and even 80’s hair pop metal, although the savage, circle-pit inducing riffery of closer “Molotov (OK)” was a dead ringer for Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings”. A very popular support then, a little relentless and overlong for me, but seen worse…

 We kept our watching brief over the very full dance-floor (a sell-out, this one…) as the roadies dressed the stage with foliage and marble bust statues, rather like an upmarket garden centre! Waterparks themselves bounded onstage at 9.15, the big-jumpered, firetruck-red haired vocalist Awsten, face Pan-Stiked silver grey with Ziggy eye make-up, emerging last to screams from the young crowd – and also from my left, Jami (and friend) being up on their feet from the off, screaming enthusiastically, singing along and filming bits of the boys’ performance, loving it all and fully justifying the difficult journey and expense. Job done! 

Waterparks themselves were a colourful, dynamic and kinetic onstage presence, both Awsten and guitarist Geoff jumping on and off the onstage plinths with gay abandon, and the voluble Awsten himself continually rabble-rousing the crowd, inciting circle pits and mass singalongs like a young Billie Joe Armstrong. “We’re in a school? Weird! Oh, it’s a Uni! My Uni was shut – so I quit and [formed] Waterparks!” Musically their sound had more oomph than on record, and I could tolerate their odd lapses into hip hop and speed-rap, so long as there was a soaring powerpop chorus on its’ way, which was usually the case. Oldie “Grave” was a strong-armed glam stomper, the emo-lite of brand-new number “Sneaking Out Of Heaven” was preceded by Awsten greeting the balcony posse (including, “the window people!”), and “Telephone” was a bright and upbeat pop-punk delight, Jami going nuts next to me. Not so sure about the subsequent acoustic interlude, which saw a meandering Awsten play about half a dozen half-songs, but after bringing the band back on and thanking the crowd for their support (“we do not take that shit lightly!”), the penultimate “Closer” was easily my set highlight, a widescreen build to a stately yet melancholy chorus with a distinct 80’s post-punk feel.

I did a quick merch run for our free posters before a 3-song encore featuring the almost speed garage verse and frantic, savage choral babble of “Turbulent”, and the smooth singalong We Are Scientists-esque synthy 80’s pop of closer “Funeral Grey”, this final number delighting Jami as they had worn a similar sweater to that mentioned in the lyric! Fond farewells to J’s new friend before we successfully chanced our arm for a mixing desk list, then a thankfully much quicker drive home, back about 20 to 1. A very successful evening overall; Jami loved it, which was pretty much the point, and honestly, this cynical old punk enjoyed it too!