TOPPING off a triumphant year that has firmly established them as one of the UK’s most exciting live acts, Sports Team stopped off at the iconic King Tut’s last month in the midst of an extensive UK tour to deliver one of the most frenzied gigs the venue has seen in the past 12 months.
Renowned for their wild crowds and theatrical moves, the Glasgow show exemplified everything that have made the band such a dominant force throughout 2019 as the crowd were submerged in a sea of frenzied indulgence, lapping up their spirited tunes and infectious swagger.
As ‘Let Me Entertain You’ by British legend Robbie Williams boomed out of King Tut’s speakers, the band made their way onto the flower adorned stage and immediately won over the crowd with ‘Camel Crew’. Fans were encouraged throughout the show to rebel against ‘no crowd-surfing’ rules set by King Tut’s and they didn’t hold back as frontman Alex Rice continued to gesture the creation of mosh pits and the elevation of bodies across the top of the crowd.
When Sports Team play live, it isn’t a mere repetition of recorded songs, it’s a performance in every sense of the word. Alex Rice is a born frontman, cavorting around the small stage and demanding attention at all times. Many of the bands much loved songs such as ‘M5’ and ‘Here It Comes Again’ were accompanied by dance moves only he could pull off, orchestrating the scrappy indie chaos that was unfolding behind him in truly captivating fashion.
It’s not difficult to notice that they have really resonated with a younger generation of music fans and Rice acknowledged this as he spoke to the fervent audience, deriding the music industry for refusing to take them seriously. Shifting between tongue-in-cheek banter and genuine appreciation, it’s easy to see how the six-piece have generated a sense of community at their gig, all while evoking that giddy feeling of youth.
During the gig it was announced that Sports Team will be releasing their debut album in early 2020, a release that will surely be preceded by a great deal of anticipation from fans all over the UK if the outings at King Tut’s were anything to go by. Hurtling through popular singles like ‘The Races’, ‘Here it Comes Again’ and ‘Kutcher’, no part of the gig faltered; the constant chaotic energy did not halt alongside Sports Team’s devotion to performing them with infectious enthusiasm and charisma. The show came to an end with track ‘Stanton’ which inevitably saw the band’s frontman hoisted up by the crowd as sweaty bodies collided amongst the organised chaos. As the lights shone on the crowd and the band walked off to roars from the audience, ‘Angels’ once again by Robbie Williams got the crowd singing as they left.
Sports Team deliver everything you could want from a live show. We suspect they’ll be returning in the new year to take on some of the city’s far bigger venues.
