SPORTS TEAM + GRETEL + KISSING PEOPLE – PATTERNS, BRIGHTON 12.11.25
Sports Team arrive at Patterns with baggage. Word of mouth hype had fans queuing for shows before they’d even released debut single ‘Stanton.’ Their Mercury Prize nominated debut ‘Deep Down Happy’, distills the ramshackle chaos of The Libertines, with sardonic lyrics, lampooning everything from middle-England to Ashton Kutcher. Released early in lockdown, it captured their live intensity. The album quickly became a favourite – a selection of songs refined in sweaty clubs nationwide. Their 2021 shows proved their ability to turn rooms feral, a space for dark fruits drinkers to mosh again. They’ll aim to replicate that energy in the intimacy of Patterns – a venue they played back in 2019, before their debut was recorded.
A stark reminder of industry fickleness – reminiscent of the adage “You play the same venue twice. One on the way up, and again on the way back down”. However, these early club shows are where Sports Team thrive, cutting their teeth stoking mosh pits and capturing chaos for their albums. Though a far cry from their Resident-partnered album release at Chalk in 2021, they return to a stage tailored to them, with more experience and more to prove.
Whilst Brògeal were announced as support, they’ve unfortunately had to drop out due to personal reasons.
First opener Kissing People are mysterious with few Instagram followers and no streaming tracks. Backed by Supergrass, who handed them their first ever live gig, they have obvious industry backing. “How are you guys in the front row?” they ask, abruptly landing on stage to a crowd of 30 people. Their bassist-led harmonies immediately shine, showcasing band versatility. Each member gets their moment to shine in a short set, with the drummer leading the following two tracks. Despite appearing to be standard indie pop, Kissing People’s strength is in how much fun they’re having – it feels like close friends messing around.
Each song has a catchy refrain, and an earworm guitar line, begging for inclusion on indie night playlists. While easily dismissible, their evident camaraderie is infectious. It turns Patterns into pre-drinks for the main event. However, as the room fills, a few older fans show impatience for headliners – doing their best Statler & Waldorf impression.
This is further exacerbated by their final track either a shaky cover of Lizzo’s ‘Am I Ready’ or an unsubtle act of plagiarism for its admittedly great groove. The band remains grateful in the face of crowd ambivalence – stating “Thank you so much for coming out so early.”
Whilst the sparse crowd remain restless, tonight provides an interesting introduction to a band with abundant stage presence. Unfortunately, they lack songs refined enough to have earned the stages they’ve appeared on so far – the crowd seems more enthused for follower, Gretel and her 90s-owed scorn.
Kissing People setlist:
‘I Could Do Better’ (unconfirmed)
‘What’s in Your Head’ (unconfirmed)
‘Send It Out There’ (unconfirmed)
‘You Like Who You Like’ (unconfirmed)
‘Everything I Feel’ (unconfirmed)
‘Are You Ready For Love’ (possibly a cover of Lizzo’s ‘Am I Ready’)
www.instagram.com/kissingpeoplemusic
Stepping into big shoes as our main support is Gretel – real name Maddy Haenlein. Gretel blends modern indie rock sensibilities with a gothic Nick Cave stomp, somewhere close to Nadine Shah or fellow up-comer Chloe Slater’s territory. Her snarling lyrics starkly contrast Sports Team’s sarcasm.
She arrives to a slam-packed room, guitar feedback filling the gaps. Second track ‘Unbloom’ swaggers, with Breeders style ferocity and Ellie Rowsell-esque vocals – A constant highlight. Her versatility is remarkable, oscillating across a wide range of styles including The Last Dinner Party baroque stylings on ‘Fire Blooming Trees.’ It shows an artist discovering their sound live – a real act of bravery. Abrupt changes break momentum, acknowledged by Haenlein’s remark: “Making the setlist up as we go. A bit.” This is slightly excused by ‘Maybelline,’ biting into beauty standards with the absurd lyric “Maybe I was born with it; maybe it’s just maybelline; maybe I’ll just listen to this woman’s work and flick the bean.”
Despite evident talent, Gretel’s stop-start set is painfully disjointed. This is partially due to stepping in on short notice for Brògeal. Closer ‘It’s The Future’ eventually inspires some pogoing – a good omen for Sports Team’s headline, but not enough to save her support slot.
Gretel setlist:
‘Witch Hunt’ (unreleased)
‘Unbloom’ (a 2025 single)
‘Answer’ (unreleased)
‘Fire Blooming Trees’ (unreleased)
‘Maybelline’ (a 2025 single)
‘King Of Nothing’ (from 2023 ‘Head Of The Love Club’ album)
‘Darkness Be My Friend’ (unreleased)
‘Squish’ (unreleased)
‘It’s The Future, Baby’ (from 2022 ‘Slugeye’ album)
The overwhelmingly under-25 crowd packs Patterns so tightly not even a hint of sea air can break in, full to the steps at the back – an oddly unsafe layout for a notoriously rowdy Sports Team. Plastic cups placed wherever possible, with pints downed and support slots wrapped up as anticipation rises.
White fluorescent lights flicker like a dentist’s room as AC/DC blares and the band storm the stage. They launch into ‘The Game,’ but its downstrummed riff is surprisingly thin, stifling early jumping. This seems like a false start for a fanbase notorious for its raucousness. Fortunately, it is amended by the segue into ‘Bang Bang Bang.’ Its country rock inflection lands like 00s indie rock filtered through The Chicks – a sarcastic honky-tonk that gets the crowd moving as one instantly. Pits open, as an eager crowd finally has reason to jump against each other. It becomes a righteous response to America – where the band were robbed at gunpoint.
Cheers erupt early – the band announce themselves within two songs. Energy remains with ‘Happy (God’s Own Country),’ shifting to righteous fury at English politics. The refrain of “Do what I say; no what I do,” unfortunately, feels relevant under any government. Frontman Alex Rice goads the audience, tonight’s coach for the sport of moshing – “Let’s get that started” as the pit opens wider, given permission to launch into one another again.
“Oli [Dewdney, bassist] tells me I should’ve brought a setlist. I’m a credible artist, I’m a credible artist” riffs Rice as he prepares for another hit. ‘The Drop’ sends the crowd into further riot – “Katie died just waiting for the right time to retire” unearthing the existential uncertainty beneath another energetic indie rock number. The steps provide a safe distance to watch tonight’s crowd launch themselves at one another, with miraculously no trips.
Newly made-over ‘Stations Of The Cross’ disappoints the crowd, morphing into synth-heavy new wave unrecognisable from its recorded original, the audience forgets to jump until the chorus. In contrast, ‘Deep Down Happy’ cut ‘Long Hot Summer’ allows Alex a chance to leave the stage for a pint. Rhythm guitarist Rob Knaggs varies vocals, in what is an oddly heartfelt track, inspiring singalongs of “Love needs glue but you bring pritt stick.”
Alex returns to the stage and jumps into the dreadful sax-and synth-led new wave of ‘I’m In Love (Subaru).’ The lead track from latest album ‘Boys These Days’ – it widens their sonic palette, but threatens to derail momentum with only a few jumping. It directly contrasts what the band do best, and its faux new-wave ode to a car ends up blending in with the very thing it’s making fun of. It’s followed with the sneering ‘Sensible;’ while played heavier live than its recorded format, it is still received mutedly. Its lyrics of “Take me to Dalston; we’ll play FredAgain in town” lands with spite rather than the Blur-owed parody of self-betterment it attempts to be. Both tracks, whilst admirable in expanding influence, stand weaker against a tried and tested formula.
“We wanna do this thing… a human pyramid.” This ends an anecdote about waivers venues make you sign about stoking up the crowd. The crowd obliges – forming a man made structure that hits the basement’s low ceiling as the notes of ‘Camel Crew’ ring out. The song, an anthem of breaking into a scene dominated by art schoolers, is overshadowed by the antics that lie somewhere between team building exercise and a potential lawsuit. By the final chorus, the pyramid has crumbled. The mosh pits remain sturdy, sparking larger circles and pandemonium. The amount of circle pits, to this song and so far, never feel like a 16 year old forcing it at Reading – it all feels earned, a necessary release of energy from a room bursting at the seams.
Fan-favourite ‘Kutcher’ follows, perhaps the only indie rock song written about a ‘mid 00s MTV star.’ The energy spikes, as Rice encourages the crowd to take his role with “Ashton Kutcher’s got nothing on you.” From this moment it appears Rice has total control over- not only will the crowd make pyramids for him, but they’ll sing for him too.
The run of bawdy, sarcastic indie classics is interrupted by another subpar couplet. This time it’s with ‘Pet Sounds’ and latest single ‘Medium Machine’ – the former exploring nostalgia and taste making with a paint-by-numbers garage rock stomp; so forgettable that despite every invitation to jump, the audience misses the cue. The latter sounds like a Crowded House B-aside so boring even Rice loses focus, and sips his pint.
The iconic riff of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ joins in, leading to its chorus. This classic pub band tactic picks up momentum with a track everyone knows, following shakier singles. The intro teases acceleration following the abrupt brake – ‘M5.’ Alex Greenwood’s energetic drumming steers the track into Rice’s absurdist lyrics about motorway banality. “I was looking for a change of direction” indicates, allowing bodies to smash together like a nasty motorway collision. Rice is hypnotic in his ability to rile up a crowd. It’s fortunate he chose frontman over cult leader – even at his most subdued he inspires mania, bringing the crowd back to him following some truly weak cuts.
In an audacious move, they close the main set with downtempo, sarcastic ballad of ‘Maybe When We’re 30.’ Lighters and phones in the air are encouraged, as strangers get on each other’s shoulders. “Maybe when we’re 30 baby; we can get a dog; and once a year we’ll go out and we’ll watch The War On Drugs” somehow landing as a triumphant middle finger to growing older; perhaps due to the cynical nature of the crowd or due to being a rare cut from ‘Boys These Days’ that actually lands.
One by one the band cuts out, and leaves the stage – abruptly. However, there’s a while yet to curfew. Shouts of “One more song” echo through the room, cheers and whoops match – even if not a fan before, everyone is a convert: there are new transfers to Sports Team. The wait for an encore lasts a minute – a brisk run through to catch the last train.
‘Fishing’ storms in unannounced and the crowd picks up the frenzy from mid-set. “We go out with our friends; and sit by the Thames; going fishing.” The phrase feels as essential to Gen-Z life as the refrain in Supergrass’ ‘Alright’ does. In this moment, devoted cult fans of the pit drop to the floor to row with shouts of “pull” – boys these days.
‘Here’s The Thing’ keeps the room sweating, and chanting. Its infectious driving rhythm section is punctuated by chants from Knaggs of “Here’s the thing” after every line of Rice’s theatrical delivery – a call and response. By the final chorus, Knaggs is handed the keys to shout, and the roof nearly comes off. The upstairs and downstairs sections threaten to become one. Closer ‘Stanton’ – first single and closer of every Sports Team gig ever – lands with similar aplomb. It distills everything Sports Team do best, a sharply-written dizzying indie rock ascension. “I wish them death from above” sparks a final frenzied mosh from a crowd sweating through their tour merch.
With a tongue firmly in cheek, ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams plays. It soundtracks a crowd of twentysomethings exit, drenched in sweat and beer on a Wednesday evening, still sarcastically singing along. The Sports Team effect.
Whilst no longer riding the wave of the industry hype machine, Sports Team’s ability is undoubted. Their blend of sardonic lyrics beneath meat and potatoes Britpop elevates them beyond a myriad of rock bands into a cult live act, possibly the tightest pub band you’ve ever heard. Whilst ‘Boys These Days’ tracks remain underwhelming for the most part, it doesn’t derail a chaotic night. Sports Team may never have hit the lofty expectations promised from their debut, but they seem more comfortable with a cult following anyway. Like their hero John Betjeman, they don’t need stadiums: they already make intimate clubs feel huge.
Sports Team setlist:
‘The Game’ (from 2022 ‘Gulp!’ album)
‘Bang Bang Bang’ (from 2025 ‘Boys These Days’ album)
‘Happy (God’s Own Country)’ (a 2021 single)
‘The Drop’ (from 2022 ‘Gulp!’ album)
‘Stations Of The Cross’ (from 2020 ‘Deep Down Happy’ album)
‘Long Hot Summer’ (from 2020 ‘Deep Down Happy’ album)
‘I’m In Love (Subaru)’ (from 2025 ‘Boys These Days’ album)
‘Sensible’ (from 2025 ‘Boys These Days’ album)
‘Camel Crew’ (from 2020 ‘Deep Down Happy’ album)
‘Kutcher’ (from 2020 ‘Deep Down Happy’ album)
‘Pet Sounds’ (from 2025 ‘Boys These Days’ album)
‘Medium Machine’ (a 2025 single)
‘M5’ (from 2019 ‘Keep Walking’ EP)
‘Maybe When We’re 30’ (from 2025 ‘Boys These Days’ album)
‘Fishing’ (from 2020 ‘Deep Down Happy’ album)
‘Here’s The Thing’ (from 2020 ‘Deep Down Happy’ album)
‘Stanton’ (from 2018 ‘Winter Nets’ EP)
