Live: Lower Than Atlantis @ Roundhouse

by | Dec 20, 2015

Lower Than Atlantis at The Roundhouse

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Christmas is a traditional time for giving, so hats off to Lower Than Atlantis for giving us a bill with not just one, but four great bands at the Roundhouse tonight.  It helped that there was plenty of Christmas cheer in the room thanks to the excellent craft beer stand, but nonetheless the crowd seemed to really enjoy the mix of bands and styles all topped off with a top notch set from LTA.

Black Foxxes getting the crowd warmed up in support of Lower Than Atlantis, The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Black Foxxes getting the crowd warmed up in support of Lower Than Atlantis, The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Starting off the evening were Black Foxxes who gave us a selection of songs from their grungy and emotion driven debut EP Pines, including the really strong Could Have Been a Man. Whilst it was a short set, they had time to get some interaction with the crowd and certainly went down well with those that had come through the doors early.

As It Is bring some energy to their support slot for Lower Than Atlantis, The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

As It Is bring some energy to their support slot for Lower Than Atlantis, The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Second on the bill were As It Is, who for me (after LTA) were the band of the night.  A photographers dream, their lead vocalist Patty Walters bounded onstage and immediately launched into a full on acrobatic showman routine that Dave Lee Roth would have been proud of.  Despite professing to being supremely nervous it didn’t show it as they went through their punk influenced set, even getting a couple of crowd surfers at one stage, all pretty good for early on in the evening.  But maybe that’s not surprising; although the band is mostly from Brighton, Patty hails from the US and they’ve got a real sense of Blink 182 and Green Day about then especially in songs like Dial Tone and Can’t Save Myself.

Moose Blood bringing "hoodie rock" to the stage in support of Lower Than Atlantis, The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Moose Blood bringing “hoodie rock” to the stage in support of Lower Than Atlantis, The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Next up were Moose Blood who, after the energy of As It Is, had a tough act to follow.  Eddy Brewerton certainly wasn’t as mobile around the stage as Patty, but what they lacked in aerial antics, they made up in their song craft.  They also went for the hoodie rock look , with both lead singer Eddy and bass player Kyle being partly concealed, a slightly menacing image but a challenge to photograph!  Much more mainstream and more in the vein of LTA, they have a quality repertoire of songs, particularly in their two openers Bukowski and Swim Down and in their final track of the set, Boston.  I’d be really surprised if Moose Blood didn’t feature highly at some of this summers festivals.

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

And then it was time for the headliners, Lower Than Atlantis, and you could sense the excitement building almost as soon as Moose Blood left the stage.  However, things took a slightly unusual turn as the front curtain proved extremely reluctant to unfurl properly.  The stage crew were extremely persistent and eventually succeeded thanks to the use of a long ladder although I thought they might give up long before that.  However as soon as LTA hit the stage, the reason for their persistence was obvious as the curtain proved the medium onto which the band were gloriously backlit for the start of the opening number and massive hit Get Over It. 

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

It’s a brave choice to start with such a big song but it set the scene well and they kept the moment up into Criminal and Emily all from their latest eponymous album, with Mike Duce and Ben Samson spending plenty of time stage front on the monitors engaging with the crowd. We were also treated to a really well designed and synced up light show which lit up the inside of the Roundhouse rather aptly like a Christmas tree.

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

The latest album actually formed the majority of the first part of the set, and it wasn’t until quite well in that we were treated to some of the older material including Beech Like the Tree and (Motor) Way of Life both from the World Record album.  The good thing is that all of the older material still sounds really fresh and raw and fitted in well to the set. The downside was that there wasn’t more of it, and there wasn’t anything from their debut Far Q album, which is bit of a shame as I really loved the title track from that album!  That said there was time for a nice acoustic version of Deadliest Catch before an encore with English Kids in America and the truly anthemic Here We Go, complete with its Faith No More-esque riff.

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

Lower Than Atlantis with a storming set at The Roundhouse, London (Andy Sampson)

So all in all a great night, with a real contrast of energy and styles; if all Christmas presents were as good as this, life would be whole a lot better.  Thanks lads!

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000K1OPn9Cli74″ g_name=”Lower-Than-Atlantis” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

Review by Andy Sampson

Lower Than Atlantis at The Roundhouse on Monday 14th December.

Andy has his own website of music photography right here: www.soundritualphotos.co.uk

Sydney Rose @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Sydney Rose Shines In Mid-Afternoon Magic On The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

While headliner Noah Kahan was preparing to command the Great Oak Stage later in the evening, over on the Rainbow Stage a quieter but equally stirring performance was unfolding under the soft mid-afternoon sun. Georgia-born singer-songwriter Sydney Rose brought her headline tour to a moving finale, wrapping her journey in heartfelt lyrics and gently fierce vocals that captivated a festival crowd seeking intimacy amid the day’s growing energy.

Gigi Perez @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Gigi Perez Captivates London With Raw Emotion And Rising-Star Power At BST Hyde Park 2025

At just 25 years old, Gigi Perez has already carved out a reputation as one of indie-pop’s most compelling new voices — and her late afternoon set on the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park proved exactly why. Supporting headliner Noah Kahan and following a string of breakout moments this year, the Hackensack, New Jersey native delivered a deeply affecting performance filled with vulnerability, power, and soaring vocals

Paris Paloma @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Paris Paloma Brings Barefoot Magic To The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

In a festival rich with soaring choruses and star power, it was Paris Paloma’s barefoot grace and gothic romanticism that carved out one of the day’s most mesmerising sets. Taking to The Rainbow Stage on a golden midsummer afternoon, the Derbyshire singer-songwriter captivated her growing legion of fans with an intimate, emotionally charged performance that felt part séance, part storybook.

FINNEAS @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

FINNEAS Warms Up London With Heart And Humour Before Noah Kahan’s Headline Set At BST Hyde Park 2025

It’s not every day that a support slot feels like a moment of main event magic, but FINNEAS — the GRAMMY®-winning songwriter, producer, and solo artist — brought just that to the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park on Friday. Performing ahead of headliner Noah Kahan and main support Gracie Abrams, the 27-year-old delivered a slick, emotionally charged set that balanced heartfelt sincerity with tongue-in-cheek charm.

Noah Kahan @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Northern Attitude In London: Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams & Friends Light Up BST Hyde Park 2025

It was, as the name requires, the perfect summer's day for British Summer Time Hyde Park on Friday. The sun was...
The Raven Age @ London Stadium (Kalpesh Patel)

Heirs To The Throne? The Raven Age Blaze Their Own Trail Supporting Iron Maiden At The London Stadium

On a scorching June evening that would culminate with the almighty Iron Maiden setting London Stadium ablaze, the...
Olivia Rodrigo @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Sophia Carey)

Olivia Rodrigo Proves That London Is Her Favourite City At BST Hyde Park 2025

British Summer Time is officially underway in Hyde Park, and the unbearable heatwave will continue to remind us all of...
ROSIN (Talia Zanger)

ROSIN Unveils Tender New Video Honouring Long-Distance Love

Berlin-born, London-based singer-songwriter ROSIN has shared the beautifully intimate video for her latest single just...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing