Photography and words by Georgina Hurdsfield
Knuckle Puck are leading the way for the new generation of pop punk fans. Still touring on the back of their latest album, Shapeshifter, which was released October last year, we caught Rise Records’ stars on the last night of their UK tour.
Kicking off proceedings was Movements, a California based quartet whose popularity has massively grown since the release off their full-length album Feel Something, which featured at #2 on Billboard’s top new artist album chart. Taking influences from bands like Title Fight as well as Balance and Composure, their popular singles display why they are labelled as part of the emo revival movement, with their melodic post-hardcore vibes. The band seemed to be popular with the crowd, with many people crowd-surfing and taking part in the catchy chorus singalongs – a response rarely seen for opening acts. From this we could tell how the night was going to go, and couldn’t wait to see the reaction when the headliners took to the stage.
Movements had left their fans wanting more and hinted at an imminent return to the UK with some very big pop-punk bands. Today, these hints became reality, when the band were announced as supports for The Wonder Years and Mayday Parade’s co-headline tour in the UK in February.
Next came Tiny Moving Parts, who were just as popular with the Manchester crowd as their predecessors. Tiny Moving Parts play with an intensity that makes you think this could have been their most important night of tour. With all the energy in a performance a fan could hope for, they played a set we would never forget, which is exactly what you would expect from a band with such an extensive discography. American Football vibes with a punk twist, the fans soaked it all up from the front to the back of the venue.
Following this, Knuckle Puck took to the stage and delivered a performance which highlighted why they are currently ruling the pop-punk scene with an essence of maturity. Crowd-surfers, mosh pits and stage dives set the vibe for their energetic and enthusiastic set. Although the set list mostly contained songs from their latest album, there was no lack of emphasis on their most adored songs from previous releases. Ending the set with a song from their 2015 release Copacetic, it was clear that Knuckle Puck were having just as much fun, or possibly more, than the fans themselves. It has been a tough year for Knuckle Puck after having to cancel their last UK tour due to mental health difficulties, but it is clear that they have come back stronger than ever.
We are looking forward to what is next for this stellar line-up of bands, proving that the new age of the pop-punk/emo scene is stronger than ever.
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