Opening the show are UK rockers Dead! who show just why they are one of the most popular underground acts in the UK right now. The crowd enjoyed the set, singing along and getting involved with the grungy rockers. At times, the vocals were lost in the mix but this did not impact too much on the majority of the set.
Patent Pending bring the pop-punk vibe with an incredibly energetic set, frontman Joe Ragosta not able to stand still, belting out some absolute tunes beginning with I Already Know (She Don’t Give A Shit About Me)! The mix was a lot better for Patent Pending than for Dead! Psycho In Love is followed by a cover of Cascada‘s Everytime We Touch, giving the older audience members an early 00s throwback and cueing a massive sing-a-long.
As we wait for the headline act, we are greeted by the likes of Taylor Swift, One Direction and even High School Musical belting out over the speakers with the crowd switching from belting out the tunes to screaming in the blink of an eye as Waterparks take to the stage, opening with 11:11, conveniently also the opening track on second album Entertainment. The mix is a bit off with Awsten’s vocals being drowned out but then this is the case for pretty much the entire set even when the mix is sorted as the crowd scream every word back. Patent Pending‘s Joe provides some entertainment for those of us on the side by acting as a fanboy, jumping up and down and cheering as the trio power through a set that includes Blonde, Peach (Lobotomy), Sleep Alone, Not Warriors and a stripped back solo rendition of Lucky People that was preceded by Awsten talking about bandmate Geoff and also rants about Starbucks being closed. Crave sees everyone jumping around and having a great time. It’s clear that while lyrically and musically, the band have matured, they have not lost their sense of fun and high energy and thankfully don’t seem to be sacrificing that anytime soon.