Review: State Champs head up ultimate pop-punk line-up in London

It’s hard to believe that tonight marks the penultimate date on State Champs’ first ever headline tour in the UK.

A previous visit in 2014 with The Wonder Years saw the band step out strong enough to suggest co-headline billing, while their last trip over with New Found Glory felt like a five-piece on the verge of their finest form.

Similarly, Eastbourne pop-punkers Roam are serving up one of the best sets of their career as openers at O2 Islington Academy. The quintet feed off the early crowd’s energy and benefit massively as a result; tracks like Over Your Head, Warning Sign and 519 sound their most effortless.

Chicago’s Knuckle Puck lean to the emo side of pop-punk and are just as popular with punters. Those that don’t know every word are wishing they did by the time No Good drops.

State Champs are in the element from the moment they hit the stage with All You Are Is History (albeit after some technical delays), as 2013’s The Finer Things makes up the bulk of tonight’s set.

With the band gearing up to release their brilliant new album, Around The World and Back, on 16 October, they play new tracks Secrets and Losing Myself. It’s brief but enough to suggest they’re more than ready to start easing the new album into their live sets.

While the swift 11-song set brings some new material to the table, the Albany five-piece succeed in closing the book on their last album. Here’s to more UK tours in 2016!

Check out the full State Champs photo gallery by Juliette Carton.