South Arcade Came To ‘Play!’ at Birmingham’s O2 Institute

Liverpool’s STONE stormed the stage with the immensely catchy ‘NEVER AGAIN,’ sparking a mosh pit by ‘Waste,’ all driven by Alex’s relentless drumming, Sarah’s pulsing bass, and Elliot’s razor-sharp guitar. The self-described “love song,” ‘SWEET HEROINE,’ offered a brief, almost reverent pause as lead singer Finn dropped to his knees for the bridge. By the time they closed with ‘Leave It Out,’ it was clear this was a band that doesn’t just play music; they “live and breathe” it, and they’ve built that mindset entirely on love.

South Arcade

Shortly after, South Arcade commanded the stage with their raw energy, opening with ‘FEAR OF HEIGHTS’ and driving the crowd wild through ‘Supermodels’ and ‘Nepo Baby,’ propelled by Cody’s thunderous drum beats that set the pace for every song. ‘DANGER’ ignited a “D A N G E R” chant from the crowd, the song complete with a “D4NGER” number plate handed to a fan. ‘HOW 2 GET AWAY WITH MURDER’ saw the first crowd surfer of the night, while new track ‘Bleed Out’ kicked off a circle pit, joined by guitarist Harry and bassist Ollie, the latter experiencing a bucket list moment.

The band kept up the high-energy momentum with jumps and kicks throughout ‘MOTH KIDS’ and ‘Drive Myself Home,’ with a short pause for the relatively more mellow ‘Blood Run Warm,’ which saw the crowd flooded with flashlights and showcased lead singer Harmony’s vocals beautifully. The punchy ‘Riptide’ had the audience clapping along, whilst their most-streamed song, ‘stone cold summer,’ saw Harmony moving along the barrier, engaging with fans. The set closed after the inevitable “one more song” chant led them into ‘2005,’ leaving the audience still roaring as South Arcade proved just how alive a live show can feel.