It’s been a hot minute since Waterparks last toured the UK, and even longer since they played a show in Manchester, but with the huge success of their Prowler Tour back home in the States it was only natural that they brought the show to our side of the pond. With the sheer volume of the crowd, you’d think it had been ten years since they were last here rather than just three! I’m no stranger to Waterparks shows and they will always go down as some of the most fun and memorable shows I’ve been to, not only because of them but because of the loyal, welcoming and accepting fanbase they’ve earned themselves. Their fanbase tend to get a lot of stick online, but the sense of community in that room, as well as their enthusiasm, was something truly beautiful.
Support came from Irish emo band Greywind, who kicked off the night on an overwhelming high. This opening slot came at the last minute, with the tour’s original opener pulling out before they were announced, but with Greywind’s perfectly executed performance, you’d think this was planned the whole time, or be asking how on earth they didn’t have this slot all along! They were made to be on huge stages and I will not hear otherwise!
This tour couldn’t have come at a more perfect time given the band had just dropped their latest album Severed Heart City just a couple months back. The setlist included a number of hits from the record including the absolute earworm that is I.K.A.M.F. Frontwoman Steph O’Sullivan effortlessly commanded the crowd, getting everyone involved whether that’s cheering, clapping along or holding phone lights up. Her theatrical flair, reminiscent of Gerard Way, and her incredible vocals stood out the whole time. Guitarist Paul O’Sullivan spent plenty of time interacting with the crowd, winning them all over in no time! All too often fans at shows nowadays will disregard openers, so it was honestly refreshing to see every single person in the room captivated as they watched this set.
All members were clearly in their element on that stage, including touring members Jake Rodger and Inaxio Abecia, both of whom I’ve seen play previously with other bands, and I’ll admit it was heartwarming to see their hard work pay off and their insane talent appreciated! As their set closed out with Waterfall, this show felt like a turning point for Greywind and I imagine the whole tour has been the same. They went from a handful of people singing along to the deafening cheers of hundreds of new fans. Best believe I’m counting down the days until I see them again!
Even with Greywind’s incredible reception, nothing could ever compare to Waterparks’ entrance. The roar of the crowd the second those lights went down was like nothing I’ve ever heard before. They launched straight into Blonde, and instantly the Ritz’s famous spring-loaded floor was put to use! SNEAKING OUT OF HEAVEN and FUCK ABOUT IT saw the crowd turn into a sea of waving arms and jumping bodies. By the end of these first three tracks alone I found myself out of breath between screaming my lungs out and jumping!
Waterparks are a band that don’t need a huge production budget to put on a show, but that didn’t stop them from going all out anyway! The CO2 cannons and eye-catching graphics made the Ritz feel like an arena show. The main set was split into section of the “Four main emotions that make humans tick: happiness, sadness, anticipation and anger.” The real standout, other than the catchy hooks and pure talent of course, was Awsten’s interactions with the crowd throughout. The frontman cracked jokes between songs, and even had sections of the set where fans would pick which song came next! The first choice between Peach (Lobotomy) and Telephone saw the former win by a mile, whilst the choice between Gloom Boys and Not Warriors was close but saw the latter played. The “I think you saved my life” line of Not Warriors was screamed louder than any other and had me tearing up just seeing the impact that Waterparks have had on so many fans.
Even with the crowd giving so much energy, Awsten wanted more! “Manchester’s supposed to be the loudest city!” He teases, and the crowd delivered, with even louder cheers and more energy.
This tour’s setlist spanned the entire Waterparks discography. From the newer hits like Funeral Grey to old favourites like Stupid For You and even some deeper cuts that haven’t been played live in the UK for a little while such as I Felt Younger When We Met which still had the crowd screaming every word. The middle of the set saw an acoustic section where Awsten took requests once again and played snippets of plenty of deeper cuts. This section ended with fan favourite 21 Questions which started off acoustic before Geoff and Otto returned to the stage at the bridge to finish the track, making it hit harder than ever and genuinely giving me goosebumps.
The ‘anticipation’ section of the set consisted of all of the new material released so far from the upcoming album, and even a snippet of the unreleased track Prowler, very fitting given that the tour was named after this track. Awsten addressed the crowd confirming the album, which is yet to be officially announced, is finished and that they will return to tour over here again when it is released. If Lyrics Were Confidential was the standout of the whole show for me personally. Ever since I watched them debut the track (unreleased at the time) at Leeds Festival last summer, I’ve been hooked. Hearing it live again and being able to sing every word this time was so much fun!
The main set closed out with the ‘anger’ section, and as you can imagine it was a full-throttle finish to the set. The biggest pits of the night opened up, surfers flew over the barrier and somehow the crowd still had even more energy to give. Turbulent has always been a staple of Waterparks’ set and all these years later it still remains a highlight for a reason! And in case the stacked setlist wasn’t enough, we were even treated to an encore of LIKE IT after the main set!
Waterparks have been on a swift upwards trajectory for many years, and if this tour proves anything it’s that they are nowhere near done with their rise just yet! With the album announcement imminent I’m sure they’ll be onto even bigger things in the near future. I can already tell this album will have me hooked, it’s gearing up to take the spot as my fave Waterparks record to date, and this show took the top spot as my favourite Waterparks show yet! A truly unforgettable night. 2026 is the year of Waterparks domination for sure!
Words by Danni Baker
Photos by Will Robinson (Instagram)
