On Saturday 26th October the NX Newcastle played host to punk-rock duo Soft Play.

This was one that seemed certain to deliver before a chord was strummed or a cymbal was hit. Stepping into the packed floor of NX Newcastle, the excitement was palpable and the air thick with the promise of greatness.

So much expectation often leads to failure to match up, an idea reality can’t draw comparison to. Soft play shattered those expectations, reminding those who may have forgotten, what they are truly capable of .

However before the Duo would stroll out to a wall of Geordie noise, it was Panic shack with the honours of taking ‘first crack’ at capitalising on the eager audience. And capitalise they did. To start with the group embodied a Sullen and brooding facade, cutting a near intimidating presence on stage.

They were a tight unmoving unit that suddenly, and effectively, exploded into life. The stagnant anger transitioned seamlessly into raw, unadulterated, aggression; embodying such a pure, chaotic energy that was completely entrancing.

Despite the air of chaos the group encapsulates, they are a very performative outfit, every motion on stage feels intentional. They remain unapologetically themselves throughout, and truly have an identity nailed down as a group.

This couldn’t be quantified more than it is by lead Vocalist, Sarah Harvey, who truly looks completely at home on stage. She really knows how to get the crowd to respond to her, and therefore the band as a whole. Her presence and momentum truly propels the group into the stratosphere, making Panic shack a sheer delight to behold.

Now to the main event, Soft play, the group may have changed their name (after formerly being known as Slaves) however nothing that has been good about them ,for just under a decade, has changed at all. They walked out to the roars of the ready and receptive crowd, samplings of all ages and creed amongst it.

If the way panic shack played to the packed venue could be considered capitalising, then Soft Play’s performance was sheer exploitation. It’s a rare treat to have a group like this and the audience in such tandem, but a treat this was.

Their energy from that second they stepped out until the very last chord, was completely unrelenting, and at times seemed practically infinite. There was truly a moment for every sensation. You had the exhilarating pandemonium that is ‘girl fight’, yet still there were moments for real feeling and expression.

‘Everything or nothing’ presented  one of those moments, the raw emotion and passion vocalist Issac Holman displayed is exactly why audiences are so receptive to the duo. However we couldn’t mention the set list without a special mention for ‘Punk’s Dead ‘. By far the best addition to their set and truly a masterpiece of a song, it is both musically and lyrically superb; arguably their best song to date

You’d also be hard pressed to find many (if any) groups, most especially a duo, who can execute crowd work as well as Soft Play (Shout-out to the backflip king). They entered the crowd several times throughout the set, one of the most spectacular being their rendition of ‘F**k the Hi-hat’ which set off arguably the most British Mosh you’ve ever seen. The hostility was only equalled by the speed in which a friendly hand would be there for, any and all, who fell victims to the sheer vitality of it.

After a festival season displaying that, they are better than ever, they have only reinforced this with their remarkable showing in this gig (as well as the rest of their tour). They are rapidly becoming a ‘can’t miss’ in our book and we are eager to see what they do next.