Fall in love with Neck Deep

Mar 15, 20244 min read

By Josie Reinker

Spending Valentine’s Day with the music you love? There’s no better way to celebrate a holiday designed to highlight the significant relationships in your life. Neck Deep kicked off their US tour on January 25th, 2024 after releasing a self-titled album. This tour included a stop in Cleveland, Ohio on February 14th at the world famous Agora! The show was perfectly curated to ensure that the audience could feel the love circulating throughout the venue.

Kicking the night off, Higher Power introduced a stylistically diverse night of music with their song Rewire. The room was immediately filled with excitement. The band from Leeds is fronted by Jimmy Wizard who kept the crowd engaged throughout the set. A little after the midpoint of their time on stage, the band’s most recent release Absolute Bloom had everyone off their feet. Many new fans were made throughout the night due to a spectacular performance from Higher Power.

Continuing the trend of high-energy sets, Bearings captivated the audience with their Canadian charm. A setlist comprised of their hits that have continued to rise in popularity brought together both old and new fans. The band from Ottawa, Ontario highlighted their newest album, “The Best Part About Being Human”, on this tour by including four of it’s catchiest songs. Lead Singer Dougie Cousins maintained the crowd’s attention and kept everyone on their feet with his pop punk energy. Altogether, Bearings really “shook up the scenery” and reminded attendees to take the time to “smile with their eyes closed” more often.

Switching up the vibes, DRAIN brought a hardcore sound that got the crowd really moving. During the intro to their opening song Feel The Pressure, singer Sammy Ciaramitaro called for the house lights to be brought up and left on for the entire set. A spark of teenage angst ignited with the aggressive lyrics and heavy accompaniment provided by the Californian group. The first circle pit of the night was opened up in response to Ciaramitaro’s request to “spin it”. Near the midpoint of their set, the mic was shared with a member of the audience who took everyone by surprise with their phenomenal vocal performance. The audience engagement pulled many further into participation with moshing and crowd surfing activities. DRAIN is the “living proof” that chaos and recklessness can coexist with safety and compassion in a concert setting.

Whether you’re meeting a lover at Lime St. or going through the Heartbreak of the Centiry, Neck Deep came prepared. The UK band is made up of Ben Barlow (Vocals), Matt West (Rhythm Guitar), Sam Bowden (Lead Guitar), Seb Barlow (Bass), and Matt Powles (Drums). The group broke into the industry early on and has gained a reputation as a provocative band who puts on an immersive show. Neck Deep frontman Ben sums up their music best, “short sharp to the point fun as fuck in your face pop punk”.

Upon entering the stage, Neck Deep fans experienced a surge of enthusiasm. Their 20 song set began with a single from their new album titled Dumbstruck Dumbfuck. It is no surprised that fans went wild when they began to play Kali Ma, a tune from their Warped Tour Era release, “Life’s Not Out to Get You”. This iconic album was well-represented throughout the night, which kept old fans content while also engaging those who may have found the band through their newest album.

Making political statements is something that lead singer Ben Barlow doesn’t shy away from. His encouragement to create a world where all are kind to one another and strong wish for war to cease is evident in the speech he gave detailing the inhumane actions that were performed while the public eye was turned towards the Super Bowl. Following up these emotional statements were the edgy songs Don’t Wait and We Need More Bricks. Both reflect on the importance of these issues to the band and to the audience they draw together.

Bringing attention to the fact that mosh pits are typically male dominant, Barlow called for a “girl pit” during the certified banger She’s A God. This moment of female empowerment resulted in an atmosphere with no shortage of crowd surfing. The women in the room truly got their moment to shine during this jam. Shortly after, it was time to give recognition to those who are heartbroken. Heartbreak of the Century gave space to those who may struggle with Valentine’s Day specifically and reminded them that they are not alone in their feelings.

Signing off (for the initial set), Neck Deep performed an upbeat version of their hit December. Ben expressed his immense gratitude to the opening bands, the crew, venue staff, and all in attendance. It should be noted that this is one of the few shows where the majority of the crowd remained for the encore. The show came to an ultimate end with In Bloom, a stape of Neck Deep shows ever since its release.

The evening came to a conclusion that left everyone in a positive mood. As Ben commended the opening acts, he also noted that despite the variations in sound, the lineup was jam packed with feel-good music. A bill of this callibur does not come around often, but definitely encuorages fans to continue expanding their interests. All in attendance enjoyed a night where no relationship other than that of artist to fan truly mattered. The Heartbreak of the Century was really when the lights came up and patrons made their way home.