NECK DEEP — NEWCASTLE, UK.

Kicking the year off with a pop punk band at the height of their powers felt like the right way to start 2025. Coupled with support from one of the most underrated emo bands and one of the hottest rising bands - Neck Deep’s ‘Dumbstruck Dumbfuck’ tour delivered on almost every front.

Opening the show was One Step Closer. I'm slightly familiar with them, having caught them at Slam Dunk back in May and was looking forward to seeing them open here. Kicking their high-octane set off with ‘Leap Years’ it's not long before the crowd is moving whether they knew them or not. From here they weave effortlessly through their set, sounding excellent as they play tracks like ‘Orange Leaf’ and ‘Color You’. They close with ‘Giants Despair’ and bring their short set to a finale with a bang. Fans adding their tracks to a playlist almost immediately.

Shot in Manchester by Dylan Maggs

Following One Step Closer was American Emo band The Wonder Years. I've been wanting the catch them for a while now but never quite got there, until now. It didn't take long for them to move the crowd - kicking their set off with ‘I Didn't Like Who I Was’ - the crowd middle fingers aloft (in a good way). The Wonder Years truly delivered in their 40ish minutes. From here it was just hit after hit, ‘Low Tide’ into ‘GODDAMNITALL’ into ‘Cardinals’ which kept the energy high in the opening stretch. ‘Wyatts Song’ and ‘Oldest Daughter’ brought a natural reprieve to the set before closing with ‘Came Out Swinging’ to high praise and applause. TWY are an exceptional band and this just cemented them as a must see band for me.

Shot in Manchester by Dylan Maggs

It was finally time for Neck Deep - considering this my fourth or fifth time seeing them, it's my first time seeing them in a proper headline show - the rest being either support slots or festival appearances. Bursting into their set with a flurry of tracks from their recent self titled record - ‘Dumbstruck Dumbfuck’ into ‘Sort Yourself Out’ into ‘It Won't Be Like This Forever’ was an incredibly strong start to their surprisingly short set. It's not till the 6th track here that we heard something from a different album in the form of ‘The Beach Is For Lovers’. Fans of their older music may have left disappointed as there wasn't much here from other projects - a few tracks were cut in the second half of the set due to Ben being slightly under the weather. (Note: ‘Can't Kick Up The Roots’, ‘Smooth Seas Don't Make Smooth Sailors' and ‘I Revolve’ were all cut

Even with Bens illness he gave it his all, delivering where it counted in the hooks and sing-alongs but took a backseat in some verses where the crowd were able to takeover. As the set rounded out with ‘Gold Steps’ then ‘She's A God’, Ben informed the crowd it was almost time for the end, bursting into the full band version of ‘December’ with the whole venue singing along.

The encore consisted of three songs, kicking off with ‘We Need More Bricks’ followed by ‘STFU’. Before the iconic opening moments to ‘In Bloom’ gave the packed out venue one final rush of adrenaline to dance to the Welsh pop punk quartet. Not letting up with each chorus and verse as the song progresses into a final crescendo.

Even with Ben being slightly ill and the shorter set, Neck Deep deliver a great set to kick start my 2025 concert year. Supported by two exceptional bands rounded out a great night. See yous as Slam Dunk eh?