The Wonder Years, O2 Institute, Birmingham - REVIEW

It has been a long time since The Wonder Years hit the Midlands, and that anticipation was felt hours before the doors of the venue even opened with crowds winding around Digbeth's streets.

The show proved to be a variety of pop punk, emo and punk-laced bands close to The Wonder Years themselves providing a thoughtful and almost intimate feel to the running.

First up were Tiny Moving Parts storming the stage with the sun-laced, visceral ode that is Sundress.

Their music is charming and thoughtful - awkward odes of loves once lost and the painful facts of growing up all wrapped in throat-shredding vocals, spine-tingling chords and thrashing drum rolls.

Through head-banging Happy Birthday, fun-filled Birdhouse, Always Focused and the lulling Dakota, Tiny Moving Parts put on a varied and enticing show that proved they are a force to be reckoned with.

Saint Albans offering Trash Boat kicked things up a notch offering a heavier sound, louder vocals and a more active stage presence to whip the crowd into a frenzy.

Unfortunately, this largely went unnoticed.

Their efforts to make the crowd party largely went on deaf ears with but a few people raising their hands and bobbing along - but this did not dampen Trash Boat's spirits with them still bouncing across the stage like balls stuck in a pinball machine.

Hits How Selfish I Seem and Perspective did get a few bodies moving with their metal-tinged riffs, racing tempo, hard then harmonious vocals and ballsy attitude that was just so infectious.

The Wonder Year's vocalist Dan 'Soupy' Campbell joined the band on stage for their final song Strangers whose contrasting vocals and style added layers that juxtaposed yet worked with Trash Boat.

Running through their set with virtually no time to chat, Toronto punks PUP took the crowd on a journey through their career with breathtaking results.

Entering the stage, they quickly introduce themselves before diving into Guilt Trip in the blink of an eye.

In just five years PUP have amassed a dedicated fan base that makes their shows unforgettable - and last night was no different with the crowd creating an electric atmosphere that engulfed all those present.

Through Resevoir, Back Against The Wall, Dark Days and Sleep In The Heat PUP showcase the diverse talent they have - from visceral punk to harmonious indie in seconds and they master each end of the spectrum.

Ending on DVP, PUP left the audience a raw and sweaty parting gift with a razor sharp performance of the rowdy hit.

Arms were in the air, beer was flying everywhere and crowd-surfers flew overhead in a disorienting display.

Blue lights engulfed the room and the crowd roared - everyone knew what was coming, The Wonder Years were here.

In true, heartbreaking style they began with a rendition of No Closer To Heaven acoustic.

No one made a sound, they just watched in awe as the beautiful lyrics wrapped themselves around their ear drums and heart strings.

That is what The Wonder Year's do best, they speak to people in a way no one else can.

Their lyrics take you on an aural journey of angst, mental health issues, loss of identity and disenfranchisement that touches each and every one of us - it makes their live shows one of cathartic comfort for other lost souls joining hands and screaming their hearts out.

Local Man Ruins Everything gets the whole crowd off their feet and Soupy leaning over them - immersing himself in the action before I Don't Like Who I Was Then sees the band turn the stage into a tornado of limbs and instruments.

Their lyrics and stage movement doesn't detract away from their musicianship in the slightest - their set is tight and radio perfect throughout yet still held the same DIY, punk feel that works effortlessly with their lyrical content.

Songs such as Dismantling Summer, Cardinals and There, There are so poignant they have multiple audience members in tears as the pain and loss in Soupy's voice was still bitterly audible.

Slowing down, Madelyn and Devil In My Bloodstream saw the audience linking arms and raising their lights in the air to the maudlin odes - that is before Soupy screams the unforgettable choruses and the crowd erupts into life once more.

Final songs Passing Through a Screen Door and Came Out Swinging offer glimmers of hope, as the band and the audience scream out "I'm getting there" in unison - and we all are, at our own pace, and that's okay.

It's hard to not leave a Wonder Years show feeling breathless - the band take you on a painful journey of raw emotion that sucks you in from start to finish, encouraging you to face your own demons and fight for what you love - all in an hour-long live show.

The Wonder Years are back, kicking and screaming louder than ever and still on a mission to reach out to all that they can - a truly remarkable feat.

By Becci Stanley