4 November 2023 – MCA, Melbourne – words by Georgia Gutterson – pictures by Paris Gorozidis
Baltimore pop-punk legends All Time Low made their long-awaited return to Melbourne on Saturday night as part of their current tour, playing their first ever arena shows in Australia following their latest album ‘Tell Me I’m Alive.’ Along for the ride was fellow pop-punk/emo royalty Mayday Parade, as well as Lauran Hibberd, a young and upcoming pop-rock artist from England.
It suddenly felt like home arriving at MCA, surrounded by bright hair colours and band t-shirts; they were even playing All Time Low on the PA in the lobby as people grabbed their drinks, snacks and merch. For some, it was like being reunited with family after a long break. For others, this was their first time seeing the band. Either way, we were all giddy with excitement as we went through the gates and into the arena, more ready than ever for a night of international pop-punk gloriousness.
Lauran Hibberd kicked off the night with her fun and contagious energy, dancing bouncily around the stage as she performed her catchy pop-rock songs to a Melbourne audience for the very first time, alongside her drummer and guitarist who joined her in looking like they were having the time of their lives. Hailing all the way from the UK, she won over the crowd with her wit and humour, such as dedicating a song to irritable bowel syndrome. After releasing her debut album only last year, Lauran is making herself known across the world very quickly, and deservingly so. It’s not very often we get to see an international, female solo artist open for two well-known bands, let alone at an arena show, so it was a refreshing change and one that pumped up the audience even more for what was up next.
The almost sold-out arena suddenly filled up as the very special guests, Tallahassee 5-piece Mayday Parade, graced the stage. It was just April last year that they were last on our shores, but with the way their fans were absolutely dying to see them again, you would think it’d been years. I think it’s safe to say that almost any All Time Low fan is also a Mayday fan; they both started out in the same early-mid 2000’s era, and both bands have stayed consistent with not only their music, but with their lively stage presence and obvious passion for what they do. To the crowd’s delight, Mayday Parade opened with an all-time favourite ‘Oh Well, Oh Well’ from their 2011 self-titled album. As expected, the energy in the arena soared and taking a look around, most people were singing (or screaming) along to the timeless emo anthem. They followed this up with their brand new, independently released single ‘More Like a Crash’, which will undoubtedly be a hit in no time – there were plenty of people who already knew all the words.
The rest of the set was an absolute treat for the long-time fans, with four songs from their classic 2007 album ‘A Lesson in Romantics’, including a tear-jerking solo performance of ‘Miserable at Best’ by vocalist Derek on the piano. Almost everyone in the arena was singing at the top of their lungs and holding up their phone lights, creating a truly magical and unforgettable atmosphere. We didn’t get to hear any songs from their most recent album ‘What it Means to Fall Apart’, but it seems like the band knew exactly what the audience wanted to hear most, especially when they were limited to an hour-long set. Sure enough, we all went ballistic for their last two songs ‘Jersey’ and ‘Jamie All Over’. And to think this was only just the beginning.
After what felt like a surprisingly short wait, everyone roared as Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Zack Merrick and Rian Dawson took to the stage. There’s something very special about seeing a band you grew up listening to step onto an arena stage, still the same four members as when they first started, and Alex still wearing a Glamour Kills shirt (a tie-dye muscle tee to be exact), which he must have probably had since the ‘Nothing Personal’ days. And speaking of the 2009 album, they kicked off their set perfectly with two favourites from it – ‘Lost in Stereo’ and ‘Damned if I Do Ya (Damned if I Don’t)’, followed by two more older favourites ‘Six Feet Under the Stars’ and ‘Poppin’ Champagne’ from perhaps their most iconic album, 2007’s ‘So Wrong, It’s Right’. An immaculate start to the set if you were to ask any millennial, old-school fan in the room. For a little while there it felt like we were being transported back to 2009, but it wasn’t long before we got to hear some of their new songs from their latest album ‘Tell Me I’m Alive’, including a medley of ‘Modern Love’, ‘Tell Me I’m Alive’, and ‘Stella’, from ‘Nothing Personal’.
One of the best things about All Time Low is how much fun they have on stage. It was their touring member Dan’s birthday, and the crowd helped sing happy birthday to him not once, not twice, but three times over the course of the night, and during ‘Calm Down’ Alex grabbed a fistful of birthday cake and teased his bandmates as they were playing with his sticky cake-covered hand. There’s always bound to be some shenanigans at an All Time Low show, so it wasn’t really that surprising that we saw Jack, Dan and eventually Alex all do a shooey – an exclusively Aussie tradition of which Alex unapologetically gave his thoughts: “You guys are f*cking sick. Who came up with this?”
We got to hear a few songs from ‘Wake Up, Sunshine’ live for the first time, as well as recent standalone singles ‘PMA’, which Lauran Hibberd returned to the stage for to sing a duet, as well as ‘Fake as Hell’ (unfortunately Avril Lavigne wasn’t there to sing her part). The only albums we didn’t get to hear anything from were ‘Don’t Panic’ and their debut ‘Put Up or Shut Up’, but considering just how many albums the band has released over the past two decades, they did a pretty solid job of spreading their discography across their almost two-hour set. They had to manage to fit a ‘Round the Twist’ singalong in there too, of course. It was clear that all of their songs have proven to be timeless, and All Time Low fans genuinely love the music they make as they continue to evolve as a band. The crowd went nuts for ‘Weightless’ and ‘Monsters’ right before the encore, and even more so for when the band returned and played ‘Sleepwalking’. But then when it came to the moment we knew they were about to play their final song of the night, everyone’s phones were ready to capture one of the most iconic pop-punk songs of all time, one that could never possibly get old. Everyone in the seats was standing, and everyone on the floor was jumping. Dear Maria, Count Me In.
After an extremely grateful thank-you to the crowd and acknowledging their disbelief that they were playing to 5000 people across the other side of the world, the band left the stage…well, except for Alex Gaskarth who stayed on to dance to ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ by Whitney Houston. This was truly a gig to remember; a rare opportunity to see not one but two of the most legendary bands in the pop-punk/emo world play an arena show in Melbourne together. Two bands that sincerely love what they do, and that’s exactly why they’re still around and playing to so many dedicated fans. When thanking the crowd, Alex described the All Time Low fanbase as a family – this couldn’t have felt more true, and we can’t wait to reunite again next time.
