LIVE FROM THE PIT: South Arcade and Stone

In an era where Frutiger Metro is back in a big way, it’s a bold act for a band to dub themselves “Y2K-core” - and it’d be all too easy to rely on aesthetics alone to sell tickets. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and Gen Z is reaching that age they’re beginning to crave that high. For Oxford rockers South Arcade, though, this just isn’t enough. They’ve crafted a sound that meets the hype, fitting snugly into the playlist that auto-played on your 2007 MySpace profile, yet adding their own signature spice. They’ve perfectly captured the throwback-zeitgeist whilst feeling ever-relevant and original. South Arcade have been ones to watch for a while now, and in Manchester they truly showed the New Century Hall why. 

The night began with Liverpudlian indie-rockers STONE, who have been causing quite the buzz here in the North West. They consumed the stage with a ravenousness, maintaining a high energy from one song to the next. There’s a grit in lead singer Fin Power’s voice that really justifies his 90s sleazy rock and roller stage presence, particularly suiting the songs “Leave It Out” and the brand new “SWEET HEROINE”. He spun a story about his long lost loves (a succession of three broken iPhones) before meeting The One (a Motorola phone), then launched into the post-punk sheen of “Moto”. The band were rewarded for their charismatic efforts with a warm reception from the crowd - heckles of “I think Moto Moto likes you!” solidified a friendship between the stage and pit. 

STONE were certainly well-suited as openers, ending on “Money (Hope Ain’t Gone)” - a fiery and brash but poignant song that left a buzz in the air. Electricity ran through the room by the time South Arcade took to the stage, weaving in and out of larger-than-life (and larger than them) spray paint cans to bring us the bright riffs of “Fear of Heights”. 

The set had all the markers of a real banger - we chanted along with the anthem “DANGER”, ran a circle pit around guitarist Harry, and jumped so hard you could actually feel the floor of the New Century Hall moving with us during “Supermodels”. Each song gleams with a melodic charm, something that’s become familiar in their discography. Despite being early on in their tenure as a band, South Arcade definitely have a familiar and recognisable house style to their tunes - catchy hooks, catchy riffs, and that slick-sharp production that really shines on tracks like “HOW 2 GET AWAY WITH MURDER” where skiddering car sound effects punctuate the drop. This really brings an element of fun into their performances - the band themselves share cheeky grins onstage whilst watching the crowd go nuts at all the right parts.

What’s more is that it feels like South Arcade are genuinely humbled and grateful to have the room in their pocket - lead singer Harmony was flattered by fans bringing art along, and knowing every word to every song. She sang the last chorus of “Riptide” with a fan who had brought a banner, begging to share the mic with her. These guys just feel like a band who love giving back and don’t take a moment for granted - something you could really feel was reciprocated by the adoring crowd, which has grown in swarms since they were here last.

Each song felt like a fan favourite, an instant classic. Fans responded well to the new songs from their upcoming EP “PLAY!”, especially the slow mushy ballad of “Blood Run Warm”, the audience a sea of waving arms and phone torches. Harmony noted onstage that they felt their discography was missing a “slow tearjerker” - this is a band thinking three steps ahead, from the recording studio to what plays well in the room, and it shows. They’re known for their bombastic energy, so it was nice to see them play with something new.

The viral hit “stone cold summer” had all phones out to the stage to catch a glimpse of bassist Ollie singing adlibs, only for them to go swiftly away lest they be lost in the moshpits of “2005” closing out the night. This is a deserved closer - a song that’s already proven its place among a “2020s Best Of” compilation CD for the scene (or perhaps a cassette is more their style?) with its rambunctious yet almost siren-like instrumental hook. Admittedly, although the set was tight and each song was calculatedly chosen to swing to the next, the night felt a little short - they have so many great tracks perhaps now seen as “deep cuts” that could’ve kept us thrashing around in that pit for way longer. It’s clear South Arcade know their stuff and are intent on constantly evolving, but perhaps this was a missed opportunity to show off how they’ve always had that spark.

South Arcade are a band steadily on the up, and this gig really seemed like a triumph for them. This was one of their biggest shows to date, and fans old and new showed up for them en masse. It’s always a sign of a great night when people are leaving sweaty, fringes plastered to foreheads, glasses steamed, and South Arcade left the people of Manchester a glad reason that they were in dire need of a shower.

Words: Erin Strom

Photos: Anna Goley