Free Throw's acclaimed album 'Those Days Are Gone' turned 10 years old last year. So what did they do about it? An anniversary tour of course!
Those Days Are Gone is one of my favourite albums from the fourth wave of emo, also known as the 2010s emo revival, and so any opportunity to see it live I was gonna be there.
I planned to go to another, acoustic, show on this tour but it was cancelled due to travel delays but honestly this show was so good I didn't mind missing out in the end.
After a long train journey and a fast devouring of a vegan sausage roll I was there - The Underworld in Camden, North London. Fun fact, The Underworld is actually in the basement of a pub called
The Worlds End, so it is technically under the world. The queue was long but when I got inside it was way busier than I expected, Free Throw are a big band but keep in mind the last show
I went to had about 150 people lol. I found a snuggly spot by the right of the stage until I got talking to some people and was slowly moved towards the centre.
No zines this time but my concert friends were fun even if I lost sight of them as soon as Heart Attack Man started to play.
Heart Attack Man
I had never heard of Heart Attack Man before the show and I was blown away by how good they are! Quite a few people there had gone just to see them, based
on their shirts anyway and they were going crazy. The Underworld, although a big venue has no barrier between the stage and crowd and so there was lots of stage diving going on.
Seeing a crowd go really wild for a big show is rare and so it was really heart-warming to see.
I left the crowd after Heart Attack Man to get some much needed water. Basement shows are great but so fucking hot I swear at times it felt like the room was melting.
I return to stage to see Free Throw getting their stuff ready and waited to hear the first notes of 'Such Luck', the first song off 'These Days Are Gone'. 'Such Luck' is the kind of song
that starts a bit slow and quiet and just builds and that second chorus hit like a truck. Everyone was jumping, people were getting on the stage and I was trying not to spill my cup of water.
It was a really special moment that was made even more special by the intro of one of their best known songs 'Two Beers In'. In true Brit fashion the crowd was singing along to the instrumental
and even if it was really out of tune, basically everyone was singing along filling the room with sound.
Two Beers In
The big moment for me was hearing possibly my favourite and first ever Free Throw songs - 'Tongue Tied'. This song is pretty big as well so I was expecting a big crowd response already but
I was just not prepared for just how much people love this song. Unlike most songs I love I know every word to 'Tongue Tied' so I was singing along like it was the national anthem, and if I was well, a nationalist.
The band performed it perfectly and it was really a highlight for me. Everyone should hear one of their favourite songs live - that is if the band are any good at performing haha - it's super magical.
The clip I got of the song kind of sucks but I sort of like the intro bit where everyone is talking, it reminds me of the beginning of Say It Ain't So.
Tongue Tied
The rest of the performances were great too, and the crowds energy stayed at a constant 100% the whole show. The band were being so sweet the whole time and were asking if we were good because the room
was now preeetty boiling. They spoke a bit about the recording of the record too and just how shocked they were that it took off and basically defined the emo-revival scene of the 2010s.
Another great highlight for me was hearing my other favourite Free Throw song - 'Kim Tastie'. Unlike 'Tongue Tied' this song does not make me want to jump around, when I hear this I just want to lie
in a ball and cry. The crowd was alot quieter for this one which was nice and the band did a wonderful performance of the song. I didn't get a video but
this video is really good.
After nearly half an hour of singing along and jumping around the Free Throw set was coming to a end. The last song on the album 'Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mushed the Donuts' is a perfect closer -
it's upbeat enough to get everyone moving but is also just really beautiful. Last songs are always bittersweet, but based on my prior research I knew this was not the last song the band were gonna play tonight.
After a short break, the band were back for the encore and spoke a bit about the album and what it means to them which was sweet. They played a few newer songs including 'A Part is Better Than Zero', in which Tades Sanville from
Hot Mulligan joined the band on stage! I didn't know their newer songs as well but I was still able to have a super time even if I was getting a little sleepy from the heat lol.
Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mushed the Donuts
I got the train back with one of my new friends which was fun but pretty awkward. I'm trying to be more socially confident but meeting new people is always gonna be a bit weird. Overall though, the show was amazing
and Free Throw and Heart Attack Man exceeded my expectations! The venue was pretty cool too even if it was not actually cool but really fucking hot. Apologies for the video quality, my camera refuses to focus on anything lol.
