LIVE FROM THE PIT: Polar, Asleep At The Helm and On Borrowed Time

In 2024, Polar released their new album Five Arrows, a hard hitting post hardcore record that truly felt full of raw talent on the UK music scene. With backing from industry experts such as BBC Radio 1, Metal Hammer, and Knotfest, this band are a force to be reckoned with and are quite rightfully rising up the ranks. Fast forward to 2025 and Polar are on a UK tour showcasing their passion, energy, and emotionally charged lyrics across various venues and festival sites. Their Bournemouth leg of the tour included the main support in Mancunians Asleep at the Helm and Bournemouth locals On Borrowed Time. 

Opening the show was On Borrowed Time. Bringing the energy early on in a show can often be tough, but vocalist James Leatherbarrow brought the audience together for a rather enthusiastic start alongside the super tight breakdowns of the band. His vocals had a punk/hardcore feel akin to early Frank Carter in Gallows and as he bound around the little space left in the venue you couldn’t help but admire the showmanship. With a handful of songs on Spotify, and a newly recorded album on it’s way, it seems this is a band to truly keep an eye on. 

Whilst Oasis may be the biggest band out of Manchester, I think Asleep At The Helm are definitely a band that showcases Manchester’s metalcore finest. With some truly guttural face melting breakdowns, you couldn’t help but compare them to the likes of Malevolence and Loathe and truly see the potential for what’s to come. Their new single Equilibrium is a metalcore classic in the making and left the whole room loving their set and left singer Jimmy Dahmer almost jumping over the barrier with enthusiasm. I must also give a mention to bassist Nat Douglas who’s bass lines shook the whole venue in the best way possible. 

Of course the main reason we were there was to see headliners Polar. Established in 2009, this Guilford based hardcore band were ready to bring the madness to this south coast venue. Early songs in the setlist included the electrifying 2024 hits “We Won’t Sleep” and “A New Mentality”, with the latter being the perfect song to encourage the much needed gang vocals that most definitely set the room alight with energy. 

Positioning himself in the audience throughout the whole set, vocalist Adam Woodford truly placed himself with the fans and allowed that moment of companionship and camaraderie throughout the show as he moshed and screamed head to head with some of his most eager audience members. By the time they reached the 2013 release “Glass Cutter” you could tell how technically tight this band are, and by that respect how truly underrated they are. Followed swiftly by 2022 hit “Dissolve Me” you can see how their songs have grown and matured since starting in 2009. 

As the show moves forward, you soon realise that a large portion of their set is from both their latest album Five Arrows, and songs written since the line up had a shake up. The blends of guitarists Bruno Consani and Simon Richardson alongside bassist Stefan Whiting and drummer Max Flohr are layered in emotions and complexities that truly show defiance and craftsmanship in their songwriting. Whilst a band changing lineups is never the easiest thing to do, this change was one hundred percent the right call with professionalism and skill radiating from the stage. 

Closing the show with “Swimming With Sharks” you could certainly say that the audience were hooked by this performance. Coming together both band and audience as if we were in someone’s basement, you could see that Polar are a force to be reckoned with and deserved the rapturous applause given to them tonight. An underrated band that delivered solid track after track with no moment skipped. A truly worthy band in the UK scene that should arguably be up there with the greats after this iconic performance.

Words and Photos: Laura Davies