STARDOM-ASSURED SOAP ENTHRAL THE VAMPS FANS AT MANCHESTER ACADEMY WITH THEIR POP PUNK PUNCH

A Friday night in Manchester is always one to remember. But when the upcoming four-man band SOAP took to the Manchester Academy stage on 27th September, raised beyond belief, proving to every audience member that 2000s pop punk is by no means dead. It was their 3rd and final night in the city, supporting The Vamps on their ‘Meet The Vamps’ anniversary tour and no doubt securing a huge new hoard of followers while they were at it. Fans of blink-182, Paramore and early 5 Seconds of Summer – you’re going to go wild for SOAP.

SOAP

The band was formed in 2019 by frontman Ryan Lofthouse and bassist Cooper Stout, soon joined by the Lima brothers, with Joshua on guitar and Noah on drums. Back then, they were known as The Tyne but decided to go through a full rebrand late last year, renaming themselves SOAP and undergoing a complete musical evolution; the band have planted seeds in countless genres – from mellow indie tracks to Radiohead-esque anthems to electric, chill, hip-hop-esque collaborations – but throughout 2024 they’ve truly sunk their roots into that addictive 2000s pop punk sound, full of youth, daring and emotion. And with only six songs, SOAP made it clear to every energised member of Friday night’s Manchester crowd that they wouldn’t be easy to forget.

The group entered the stage to a chorus of encouraging cheers, kicking off their set with the high-energy 2023 single Bad Mood. From the very first note, the whole band’s stage presence was utterly magnetic, with frequent interactions between members and an untameable energy from the dancing vocalist Lofthouse, encapsulating that early 5SOS sound and energy which was, of course, brilliantly received by the eager Vamps fans. The live instrumentals were perfectly mixed and overflowing with talent that became even more apparent in the following, unreleased track American Cool. After the first catchy chorus, Joshua Lima’s fantastic founding guitar lines were given more of a spotlight, flooding the room with perfectly-controlled snippets of wildness. He couldn’t stop dancing along with Lofthouse and Stout, as well as sharing huge smiles with his brother Noah thrashing on the drums, filling the stage with camaraderie. This was shared with the audience when Lofthouse got everyone – and that really does mean everyone – to clap along with the song while he impressed with his pop-punk-powerhouse of a voice.

But the highlight of the set was without a doubt the single Get Out Of My House, in particular the HOT-TO-GO!-esque dance routine taught to the crowd for the earworm of a chorus. With every single audience-member dancing along with the band, drinks in the air and voices loud, it could’ve been a SOAP headline show. There was an effortless connection between the band and the people streaming into the venue, a clear enthusiasm from both sides and a comfortable, excited feeling created in between.

Another unreleased track was up next: Awkward Now, a jauntier, acoustic guitar track to which the crowd raised their phone torches and cheered along the whole way through. The call-and-response just kept on coming and the whole group looked thrilled at every note. Noah Lima was a particular stand-out during this number, his skillful choices and dynamic movements elevating the drums to the piece’s forefront. The expertly-selected setlist came to yet another height with the penultimate track and the band’s latest single Funeral, a song that maintains an upbeat, poppy undertone but is dominated by the growing punk elements of SOAP’s smattering of 2024 singles, with dramatic lyrics and Joshua Lima’s high, sliding guitar to match. He, along with Stout, took a more vocal role in this number, branching away from Lofthouse’s lead to give a grittier style of voice. 

To end this short but unforgettable support slot on a high note, SOAP whipped out a rock-filled, mosh-mad cover of ABBA’s SOS, the studio cover of which is already released. This was such a fun closer, so telling of the band’s enticing personality and ability to seamlessly slide between genres. Even once the crowd had caught their breath, Noah Lima had bid the crowd goodnight with a climactic final smash of his drums, and SOAP had left the stage, the audience was raring for more; as the group trickled back on to get their gear and sort the stage, the crowd erupted in screams of excitement. It’s safe to say that SOAP will be well-loved and well-missed in Manchester before their return in October for a UK headline tour. 

TALIA MAR

The second support act Talia Mar, whilst taking to the stage alone, was a magnetic presence and stunning talent, singing her club-classic-style songs reminiscent of Little Mix in vocals, backing tracks and messages. With crowd-pleasing covers like Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer and the 90s anthem No Scrubs by TLC, not to mention her own characteristic, catchy tracks – the rave-perfect Stay The Night, the sensual Forget About Your Ex, the rapturously-received Sweet Lies – Mar brought the pre-headline act energy to its peak. Her voice was enchanting, moving effortlessly between registers with a caramel-smooth quality, similar to that of Sabrina Carpenter and, during some rippling runs, Ariana Grande. It’s a shame Talia Mar didn’t have backing dancers – she was clearly meant for the spotlight.

THE VAMPS

And, of course, when the highly anticipated headliners, The Vamps, finally came onstage, bringing with them low, eerie chants of ‘meet The Vamps’, the crowd erupted, physically and audibly; their ecstatic screaming and mass-jumping shook the ground along with Connor Ball’s electric guitar shreds all throughout the first nostalgic tracks, namely Wild Heart, Dangerous, Hurricane and the era-defining Last Night. Frontman and lead vocalist Bradley Simpson was magnetic, with his infectious, Freddie Mercury-esque energy and knack for crowd-work.

The live experience of fan-favourite Oh, Cecilia was unmatched, with a fan-started tradition of a conga line weaving through the jumping crowd. The intensity of the backing guitar from James McVey and Connor Ball gave the gig-version of the song a deeper edge, not to mention Tristan Evans’s ever-impressive drum patterns and powerful musical foundations. Later on in the show, when Simpson, Ball and McVey briefly left the stage, it was Evans’s turn to really take the spotlight, drumming through Chemicals, a track from the band’s 2020 studio album Cherry Blossom, with ever-morphing patterns, astounding skill and an incredible power that drove the returning band members into Change, with vocals led by McVey and lyrics screamed by the adoring fans.

The ‘Meet The Vamps’ Anniversary Tour isn’t just a gig – it’s its own exhibition, a show full of talent and memories and fun. And in Manchester, which the band themselves call ‘the Vegas of the UK’, you can always expect that extra something special, that added decibel of support from the crowd. With Evans drumming every song with thrashes of excitement, Ball and McVey encapsulating that youthful guitar-powered quality of the earlier Vamps eras, and Simpson’s addictive voice filling the venue, the band’s last night in this city of music was unforgettable, made so by the band, the support acts and their audience alike.

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