As it is // electric ballroom, LONDON
The four-piece have reclaimed their happy ever after at the Electric Ballroom London.
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AS IT IS AT ELECTRIC BALLROOM, LONDON
PHOTOS BY: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI
And just like that, As It Is Never Happy, Ever After tour has come to an end. A tour fans had been waiting for since the band's reunion at Slam Dunk in May. There they marked ten years of Never Happy, Ever After with a re-recording re-release featuring high-profile artists.
What was clear Friday night was many have grown with the band over the years. As It Is’s music has long been a soundtrack for struggles, be it identity or the complexities of youth. Their last London show was pre-pandemic at Camden Dingwalls. But tonight at the electric ballroom it felt different – charged, and a chance for everyone to reconnect.
Of course, starting off the night was Leeds group Artio, a support act that demanded attention. They had an edge and fuel that could clearly be seen by how tightly they all played and sang. They revealed that their debut album will land in January 21st with a track featuring Patty Walters himself. Artio didn’t feel like a normal support act but instead a glimpse into a group more than ready to dominate bigger stages of their own.
As It Is came out to explode into “Speak Soft”. Nostalgia is one hell of a drug, and the moment the opening chords of “Cheap Shots and Setbacks” rang out, the room lit up. The fans knew exactly what to do – scream every word back with every fibre of their being, and with good reason. It’s a staple song. One for the confused, wondering if they’re meant to feel the same as everyone else. “We're the kids who are dead inside, but we're the ones who feel alive.” Still an anthem, maybe even more so now. In fact, it was a delightful mix of elder and younger emos, united in bliss, singing with the same fire and passion together.
Interactions with the crowd were emotional as expected, with Patty accurately screaming out: “We are so back…” And just like that, everything aligned beautifully.The show was presented in two halves; the first was a celebration of Never Happy, Ever After in its entirety. Act two was a good mix of the past and the future interwoven into a tale of two halves, starting set two with the present.
Their new single “Lose Your Way & Find Yourself” captures everything about this band. It’s full of heart, it’s bright, and it’s lyrically poignant. Honestly, this song alone deserves its own write-up for how poetically vulnerable yet healing it is. Lines like “you’ll never be okay until you lose your way and find yourself” and “is this what being brave is?” feel like private journal entries, yet they sing them out proudly. Vocally striking, all backed by punchy drum beats and the rhythmic strumming. While you want to cry, you instead find peace and beauty watching them come together.
Patty’s vocals have never sounded sharper, while Ben bounded across the stage with his usual Golden Retriever energy. Ali and Foley held everything together as the backbone, their tight rhythms giving the songs even more life. The whole set featured appropriate production. With subtle lighting for the tender moments and bursting with colour and lasers during tracks like “Soap”.
One thing you’re guaranteed at an As It Is show is energy – in endless supply. Patty, a fireball on stage, was a menace with the mic, not just vocally but also physically, swinging and catching it like a gymnast's ribbon. The whole band looked at home and genuinely happy. As if they were stepping out for their very first show. Together they tore through a massive 25-song setlist, their biggest yet, and relentlessly fired out hit after hit.
The latter half of the set featured hits like “Winters Weather”, before pulling classics from their heavier 2018 album, The Great Depression, including “The Reaper”, the mighty “The Wounded World”, and closing off with the emotionally charged “The Stigma (boys don't cry)” (which challenge failed by yours truly.)
Closing their Never Happy, Ever After tour in London was a triumph,A very honest story was told Friday night at the Electric Ballroom. As It Is have always turned their personal truths and reflections into universal feelings. Something we can all feel and relate to. That night they were more than a band who trusted their instincts; they had healed, and that sentiment was shining brighter than any electric current could spark.
REVIEW BY: KIRSTY BRIGHT
PHOTOS BY: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI
