Neck Deep - Birmingham O2 Academy 24th January 2025

It’s felt like ages since Neck Deep last did a U.K. tour. Having released their 5th album back in January of last year and taking on some huge tours throughout 2024, the pop punk band have finally brought their Dumbstruck Dumbf!@k tour back to British soil. Tonight is opening night in Birmingham and with some pop punk/hardcore newcomers One Step Closer and pop punk legends The Wonder Years in support it’s bound to be a huge night.

Kicking things off we have American pop punk band One Step Closer. The band have been hard at work since 2016 but it wasn’t until 2021 that they finally broke through and started really making a name for themselves. Whilst the band sit under the pop punk label they definitely sit closer to the likes of Koyo than they do, say, simple plan or blink 182 but that’s what makes them exciting. It’s a sound which many will have heard before back during their high school years but it’s been re-energised and made fresh once again making for a band which really should be watched over the next few years. 

Their live show is energetic when it needs to be and they sound great, and could easily transport any elder emo back to the warped tour days. You can also really hear the raw emotion within the lyrics through the voice of singer Ryan Savitski. They’re the perfect opener for this tour with appeal to younger neck deep fans but definitely striking a chord with the older fans. 

Next up is a band I myself have grown up listening to, a band whose influence has no doubt been felt through so many newer pop punk bands and a band who have always strived for greatness. That band is none other than pop punk legends The Wonder Years. Fronted by Dan Campbell, The Wonder Years are best known for their continually evolving heartfelt music which has covered all topics from college struggles, mental health and gun violence, right the way through to the worries of being a father. 

The last time I saw The Wonder Years in this room was in 2011 when they opened up for Good Charlotte on the Kerrang! tour. I remember being truly captivated by their performance and the energy they brought to the stage. 14 years later and I still always get chills when their intro tracks play. Being deep in a crowd full of people singing along to every word of every song at the top of their lungs is nothing short of euphoric. 

There’s something enjoyable about seeing The Wonder Years performing live. Maybe it’s the energy they bring to the stage, maybe it’s the pitch perfect sound, or maybe it’s the way Dan Campbell holds himself on stage. His vocal performance is strong, at times you can feel the emotion pour forth into the room either allowing for moments of thought and reflection or taking the atmosphere to the highest of highs. As their set draws to a close Dan talks to the crowd about inclusivity before jumping head first into a furious play through of ‘Came Out Swinging’; ending the set in a way that brings the crowd together.

Tonight’s headliner is Neck Deep, a band who’ve worked tirelessly to make a name for themselves; and can now finally stand back and take it all in. Forming back in 2012 the band hit the ground running following the success of their first EP ‘Rain In July’ but it wasn’t until the release of their debut album ‘Wishful Thinking’ in 2014 that the band really started to cause a stir amongst the scene. It didn’t take them long to break America, stapling themselves as one of the most popular British pop punk bands. 

Kicking things off with ‘Dumbstruck Dumbf**k’ the band waste no time in getting the crowd going again and also bringing with it huge sing along at the chorus. The bands performance not only oozes confidence but it shows they are loving every minute of it as both guitarists jump, spin and make the most of the space they have on stage. Vocalist Ben Barlow also has some great interaction with the crowd. Early on in the set he reaches down into the pit as the first crowd surfer rolls over the barrier, giving him a fist bump as security send him on his way. 

It’s been sometime since Neck Deep have done a U.K. tour (2022 to be exact), Ben even jokes about the messages they receive on the regular asking them to play in the U.K., but the time spent touring has up to now has meant this tour is worth the wait. The band has grown significantly since their last U.K. tour and it shows. They now feel like a band who know who they are and no longer have anything to prove. They also sound fantastic and clearly know the best way to interact with the crowd to give them the best time.

Tonight’s set covers a large amount of their catalogue, leaning heavily on their new album but also bringing in some crowd favourites. The new material sounds great live, ‘Heartbreak Of The Century’ in particular has the crowd bouncing and singing along, but it also feels right at home alongside their previous releases. I think every fan in the room shared a joint feeling of excitement hearing the opening chords to ‘Can’t Kick Up The Roots’ fill the room. 

As the set draws near its end there still time for the crowd to keep the energy up with the relatable ‘Low Life’ followed by ‘S.T.F.U.’ Before the the band bring the tempo down with one final song, ‘In Bloom’. There’s something about this song which has a sense of finality to it and closing out the set on a high feels like the perfect way to end the show. Having followed Neck Deep since their early days it was exciting to see them back on stage and at the top of their game. They had the crowd in the palm of their hand for the duration of the show. If tonights show has proven anything its that pop punk’s not dead, bands like Neck Deep are keeping well and truly alive.