Soap takes over Birmingham with Carpark and Paradise Circus
This May, up-and-coming pop-punk band Soap took to the stage for their Indoor Sports Tour, celebrating the release of their new ‘Indoor Sports’ EP. The stage was set with mic stands and the unmistakable ‘Soap’ drum kit, while a piece of AstroTurf displaying “SOAP” boldly spray painted on it in white, hung at the back of stage, very fitting for the theme of the tour. An excitable crowd began to fill the room, amped up to see this new era brought to life.
This wasn’t my first time seeing the band, as I first came across them in a time of indie covers in the forest and lockdown YouTube videos, however seeing their growth, over the past 2 years in particular, has been incredible, and this tour has to be their best one yet.
The show started with a set from Carpark, a 3-piece rock band from Ireland. They were the perfect start to the evening, playing some of their top tracks including ‘Don’t want You’ and ‘Happy on Mars’, encapsulating the attention of everybody in the room. All three of the members voices blended beautifully throughout their tracks, as lead singer Scottie danced around the stage when not playing bass, embracing the energy in the room, and hyping up the crowd perfectly. If you’re a fan of Avril Lavigne (or the soundtracks to early 2000’s movies), Carpark should definitely be the next addition to your playlist.
The next support act was Birmingham based 4-piece, Paradise Circus. Starting with ‘Miles Away’ and ending on unreleased track ‘Nevermind’, the band were able to bring a newfound energy to the room, owning the space as if they were headlining the show themselves. Their set contained new song ‘Icarus’ which, despite not being released at the time of the show, received an exceptional response from the crowd as they listened intently, dancing along to the track- impossible to avoid with the bands infectious stage presence. I think it’s safe to say that Paradise circus definitely gained a few new fans this night.
Finally, it was time for the main act. The room filled with excited cheers as drummer Noah took to the stage first, followed shortly by guitarist Josh and bassist Cooper as they played the punchy intro to ‘All I need (And more)’ before being joined by lead singer Ryan who wasted no time in addressing the crowd and kicking off the show with a bang. The energy in the room instantly shifted from anticipation to pure excitement as the audience sung along loudly to every word of the track, despite the ep only being out for less than a week. There was no sign of the energy dying down anytime soon as the night continued with new track ‘Kill the Pleasure’ and a cover that gained the band some social media traction in 2023- ‘SOS’ by ABBA. A while of dancing and a couple of interesting stories later, the crowd were left with an important decision- to choose the next song of the night. Ryan explained that the band had a few “issues” deciding the setlist, and wanted to give each crowd the chance to choose a song that hadn’t quite made the final cut. The choices for this show were ‘Let’s Start a Cult’ and ‘Bad Mood’, and with ‘Bad Mood’ winning by a landslide, the band wasted no time jumping into the track, much to the crowd’s delight (and Ryan’s Dismay).
Up next, another surprise was in store… Ryan once again addressed the crowd, asking if anybody in the room was familiar with Chappell Roan, of course gaining some excited cheers at the mention of the iconic singer. The question was followed up with an incredible cover of ‘Good Luck Babe’, of course with a pop-punk twist. Coverling such a well-liked track can be a risk, but it’s fair to say that the band more than did it justice, and safe to say that the audience would agree, as they danced and sang along to the track eagerly.
The band had one more surprise left as, for the penultimate song of the night, Josh and Ryan placed themselves in the middle of the crowd for an acoustic rendition of ‘Sneaky Feelin’’. Artists performing in the crowd seems to be a common theme within the live music space recently, however I can’t say I’m mad about it. The sound of an acoustic guitar filling the room as artists and fans sing together can be so special, and this was no exception as fans held up their torches, lighting up the centre of the room where the two stood while quietly singing along.
The night ended on a high note with unreleased track, ‘Awkward Now’, a fan favourite that was introduced on The Vamps’ tour, and an easy singalong to keep the energy in the room going as the show drew to a close.
A band that knows how to keep their audience engaged and take over any room- Soap were nothing short of incredible.
For anybody looking for a new band to support, especially any UK based concert-goers looking for a fun night out, I would highly recommend any of the bands from this show.
Find Soap on Socials:
Instagram- @soapofficial
TikTok- @thebandsoap
Find Carpark on Socials:
Instagram- @carparkband
TikTok- @carpark.band
Find Paradise Circus on Socials:
Instagram- @paradisecircusuk
TikTok- @paradisecircusuk