It’s been a while since Watford rockers Lower Than Atlantis have been in Leeds, and we’ve been eagerly awaiting their return.

The main support, Young Guns, deserve crowds of this size all to themselves. In fact, they command the room so well that it’s easy to forget that this isn’t their show. The charisma of frontman Gustav Wood is impossible to resist, and every person in the Academy is under his spell. The tunes help, of course. ‘Buried’ is pounding and triumphant, certainly a stadium-worthy song. Undoubtedly, this is a band that can get to that level.

Ultimately though, this night belongs to LTA.

Safe In Sound has only been out for a month, but you wouldn’t know that from the reception the new songs receive. Every person in the crowd knows every word to ‘Had Enough’, a stomping opening which sets the tone for the rest of the night. These are songs for crowd-surfing, en-masse chanting, and relentless jumping.

In a moment of rare sincerity, frontman Mike Duce explains the meaning behind the album title. He captures the reason we are all here, sweaty and squished up against strangers – because music is an escape from the stresses of our lives. This sentiment is most perfectly illustrated later in the set, when the band strip back for ‘Another Sad Song’. The room transforms from shouts and shoves to tear-filled eyes and hugs all around.

This is a band that often feigns nonchalance, but tonight it is clear that they love what they’re doing. There’s not a single moment that bassist Dec Hart isn’t grinning like he’s having the time of his life, and even Mike – a perpetually cynical man – can’t resist chuckling to himself. They can’t quite believe where they find themselves, but those of us who’ve followed them for years certainly can. It’s been a long time coming.

Sophia Simon-Bashall

[image: YouTube]