Live
Sports Team
Patterns, Brighton
March 21 2019
Words/Pictures: Steve Willcox
Sports Team are one of those bands you have on your list to see but for some reason keep missing. Well, for yours truly, tonight’s the night. I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing this London-based six-piece act, fresh from SXSW in Texas and currently on a trek around the fair isle of the UK promoting new EP ‘Keep Walking!'
With electric energy filling the venue and a packed crowd jostling for the perfect spot, Robbie Williams’s ‘Let Me Entertain You’ fills the air as the band alight the stage and get into position.
“Hello Brighton! How ya doing?” vocalist Alex Rice asks the crowd, as the band kick off with an intro that segues into ‘Camel Crew’ with its matter of fact lyrics and soaring guitars that lift any malaise here.
‘Beverly Rose’ basslines from Oli Dewdney punches thru the venue as Alex starts hitting his chest to get the crowd fired up as he cavorts around the stage like Jagger on acid, while Ben Mack is deadpan behind the Korg shaking his tambourine as though he’s got better things to do.
Fast lane paean, the quirky ‘M5’, whips the crowd up with its infectious rhythm and musings of a travelling salesman. “Sunlight splashes off the bonnet / On the M5 / No one else is on it / It's an open wide motorway“ goes the chorus, and as Alex stands on the barriers, the crowd moves in and a real connection is now made. Not often played live, the Clash-esque ‘Georgie’ gets an airing for the audience's pleasure tonight with Henry Young’s guitar riff throughout accompanied by Al Greenwood’s steady drums. ‘Margate’, the "song about English summers", brings out the start of the crowd surfing to the venue as they get pumped up by songwriter Rob Knaggs' edgy guitar and Alex’s enigmatic frontman antics.
New song ‘Landr’ gets even more surfers to ride those musical waves and finally reaching the stage shore where they are embraced by Alex as he beckons the crowd for more. Their singalong anthem ‘Kutcher’ has the audience shout back it’s catchy chorus to Alex as Ben Mack stands in the centre shaking, what can only be described as homemade maracas: a chewing gum tub with a few left inside!
During ‘Stanton’, Alex climbs over the barriers and dons a pale blue cap from a fan and sings amongst the crowd as they move in closer. A nice warm ending to a cracking set from a band of musical individuals with a solid aim/goal that’s cemented in friendship.
Just goes to show, there’s no ‘ i ‘ in Sports Team.
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