The Underworld, London, 25/08/25
On the 28th of September back in 2017, Waterparks first stepped onto the intimate and legendarily humid stage of the Underworld, a date pencilled in as part of their first ever UK tour.
Even back then, it felt too small for them.
Packed to the rafters and loud as all hell, it was a marker for something extraordinary stirring under the streets of Camden Town.
Fast-forward almost eight years later, and they are back. Though the trio were initially scheduled to play up the road at the even tighter Camden Assembly – with just the 200 capacity – a return to the Underworld feels suitably full circle. A chance to not just tie a bow on their exceptional growth over the years, especially on these shores, but also try out some things that you aren’t going to hear anywhere else.
Because this is a show for the Waterparks connoisseur. The true Waterparks lover. The Waterparks fan who prioritises taste above all else. And let’s just say, from the moment that ‘RED GUITAR’ bursts into life, they are eating well.
The staples are here, of course. ‘Stupid For You’ is still the most pitch-perfect pop-punk song you’re going to find, whilst ‘Numb’ bristles with as much world-beating energy as when 2021’s ‘Greatest Hits’ was first released, igniting absolute carnage on the floor. Arms are aloft, feet are off the ground, and the screams emanating from every throat are deafening. However, because this is a show where fans come first, some rarities are being pulled out.
‘Gloom Boys’ and ‘Take Her To The Moon’ are a time capsule of sugar-coated wonderfulness; the latter, in particular, feels like the years are melting away in its vibrant and volatile energy. Whilst ‘FANDOM’ favourite ‘WAR CRIMES’ feels utterly gargantuan in these surroundings, every thrashing chord and blipping synth is as crystal clear as the last, a beautiful contrast to the emotional outpouring that accompanies a delicate ‘Lucky People’.
That’s the biggest takeaway from all of this, to be honest. For a band that prides itself so highly on its live show, Awsten, Geoff, and Otto have never sounded fresher. The dense intricacy of [Reboot]’s production is expressed in screaming colour, whilst the disgust that sits at the core of ‘Turbulent’ hits like a fist to the temple, as damning and desolating as Awsten would hope such a middle finger of a song would feel. ‘Magnetic’ feels even more metallic, ‘The Secret Life of Me’ more sporadic and ‘RITUAL’ more hedonistic. To pull off such arena-sized sound and production on this level is no mean feat. For it to feel this pristine and powerful is another level altogether.
More than anything, you can see just how comfortable the band are being around their people in such a way as this. Though the weekend’s shows at Reading and Leeds Festival, on the main stage no less, showed off the stature and status that Waterparks have achieved, getting to see the joy creep across the faces in a crowd before them so vividly is clearly where they would rather be. You can see that the weight is firmly off their shoulders, personified best by Awsten having to get his phone out, struggle for wifi and listen to the demo of ‘CALL ME BEEP ME’, receiving its first ever slot on a setlist, to remember the notes he has to play. How is that for transparency?
And between the lessons on Transatlantic cultural differences and the endless Geoff Wigington worship, the big hitters keep on coming. ‘I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore’ is still as self-deprecatingly pretty as when it was first unleashed, whilst ‘FUNERAL GREY’ receives one of the loudest scream-alongs yet, and that’s saying something. The vibes are no less than immaculate throughout, like nothing else matters but this celebration of everything Parx. A meeting of like-minded fanatics, losing all inhibitions and giving everything they have for a band that they have given so much of their love and adoration to. It’s precisely this that makes the devilish words of the newly premiered ‘If Lyrics Were Confidential’ stand out even more, a reminder from Awsten that he still has a lot to say on the relationships that this band has fostered.
With a showcase of ‘Zone Out’ and ‘TANTRUM’ for the first time in five years and a final swing of ‘REAL SUPER DARK’, a show for the ages comes to a sweaty and sensational end.
Waterparks may never play a show this small ever again. But if they do, it should always feel like this. As much fun for those on stage as those on the floor, as personal as it is professional and full of surprises so sweet that your teeth start to feel itchy, there’s just something about the energy that reverberates around an occasion such as this. As much a meet-up with old friends as a true “I was there” moment, it’s testament to the band for always putting the experience first.
Above all else, tonight has served as a marker for what it means to make whatever art feels right for you. Be as dark, daring and decadent as you like. Do things that nobody else would even consider. Push and pull at any boundaries that may or may not have appeared around you. Just do it. Because if you build it, they will come, no matter where, when or what.