LIVE FROM THE PIT: Free Throw, Saturdays At Your Place and Pool Kids

This weekend saw London packed to the brim thanks to METALLICA’s final tour dates, colour-bursting London Pride, and the continuing beautiful weather (or as we like to call it, Satan’s holiday home) - this heated, vibrant energy of London was felt at full force in the Electric Ballroom, Camden, with a crowd spilling out all the way to the entranceway to see Nashville emo band FREE THROW on their immense world tour for all-hits-no-misses album Moments Before The Wind. Gig-goers could be seen bopping and beaming to the interim music before anyone had even taken to the stage, the excitement rippling through the humid air as the lights darkened.

POOL KIDS are still riding the high of their so-far momentous year, their infectious energy not waning for a second and the crowd giving it back at a resounding force. Seeing their exhilarating live performance, it’s easy to figure out why the math-rock band have swiftly made a name for themselves with dynamic movements matching their rousing sound, as drummer Caden Clinton brought thumping, tempo-morphing beats on Dani and bassist Nicolette Alvarez gamboled across the stage from the first notes of Last Word. 

Vocalist and guitarist Christine Goodwyne delivered impressive high-kicks to rapturous applause before she aimed the mic at the crowd to bellow back That’s Physics, Baby, lead guitarist Andy Anaya full-body headbanging through every song emphatically as he struck every curated note and sang in tandem with Goodwyne on heavy hitter Talk Too Much. With their energy spilling off the stage it only made sense for Goodwyne to follow it into the crowd, singing along with the front row and leaping into a brief crowdsurf, before clambering back onto the stage and powering through Conscious Uncoupling as the crowd whirled round joyfully.

Decidedly limbered up and sweatier than a marathon runner, the crowd split almost immediately as SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE paced out onto the stage to welcome and launched into cross my heart, its nostalgic midwest emo riffs and vocalist and bassist Esden Stafne’s pining vocals capturing the crowd’s attention. Guitarist Mitch Gulish jumped and kicked excitedly through the set as he shredded on i’d rather be in michigan, grinning proudly at the crowd as they sang along to loon mobile pt 3. Gabe Wood thrashed at his drumkit and led a scream-a-long in the background for it’s always cloudy in kalamazoo, tucked away toward the back of the stage but giving so much energy it felt like he was playing in the pit. 

The three-piece didn’t have to throw themselves about the stage to make it clear what their punchy vibe was, choosing instead to insert a hop, skip, and a jump at times and gaze appreciatively as the crowd shook the floor and belted out to what am i supposed to do? and future, spinning like a tornado to fast-paced cross my heart before crowdsurfers started flinging themselves onto sturdy hands. A calm settled over the crowd as i give in began, people placing arms round shoulders in solidarity for the emotive song that build up to a cathartic crescendo, before SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE closed out with one final pit and shouting match for tarot cards.

Before the lights had even dimmed, enthusiastically wild screams drowned out the interlude music, the audience barely able to contain their eagerness to see FREE THROW. It wasn’t long before the five-piece rocketed out with waves and ecstatic smiles and the crowd were able to unleash full chaos to opener MissingNo, surging forward to the rushing riffs and beats as vocalist and guitarist Cory Castro shifted from classic emo-rock melodies to hoarse shouts on the breakdown. While this tour was in celebration of latest album Moments Before The Wind, FREE THROW peppered in beloved classics like Pallet Town and Tongue Tied, their joy at playing their favourite tracks alongside their celebrated new work evident in their expressions and in the way they performed, clearly giving their all to play as perfectly as possible while still having the time of their lives on A Hero’s Grave and Mike Nolan’s Long Weekend.

Crowdsurfers appeared in unstoppable droves for addictive Two Beers In, the frenzy of the fans reaching a towering high as they scrambled for purchase on an animated audience, their final chance to let loose in the form of steady and triumphant Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mushed The Doughnuts. The crowd rolled around like crashing waves, a push pull motion to the compelling rhythms and affecting lyrics as we journeyed through the band’s career to arrive at the here and now, tracks like The Outlaw Star and The Waters Of Life a clear sign the band have kept to their musical roots yet grown their sound into something expansive and entirely true to themselves, without losing their signature marks.

Words and photos: Julia Stark