They Are The In Crowd
By Mellissa Ang, photos by Clara Lock
Performing on a Tuesday night didn’t stop pop punk band We Are The In Crowd from drawing an in crowd of enthusiastic, screaming teenagers to SCAPE Warehouse after school. Clearly, We Are The In Crowd (affectionately known as WATIC by fans) is the in thing these days.
Having formed in 2009, WATIC’s first Singapore outing was part of their Rumour Mill East Asia Tour. And while the venue was only half full, the head banging, fist pumping WATIC fans proved that the audience size is merely a number.
Local band Attention! The New Portsdown (ATNP), who have been performing since 1998 under different personas, warmed up the crowd before Malaysian band Oh Chentaku took over.
Oh Chentaku, impressive with their synthesizers and wild hairstyles to match their personalities, rocked the crowd with oroginal numbers like Sing it Rock & Roll.
After persistent chants of “WATIC, WATIC, WATIC!”, the New York based band finally took the stage and the crowd went ecstatic at the sight of them, with screams going through the roof as they launched into the first single off their 2011 album, Rumor Mill.
The band, fronted by vocalist Taylor Jardine, brought their fans through a 13-song set list comprising hits like Kiss Me Again and For The Win.
Towards the end of their gig, no one could tell whether SCAPE Warehouse was shaking due to the audience’s jumping, WATIC’s jamming, or both.
When the band bade their fans goodbye after a rendition of their single On Your Own, the crowd was reluctant to let the band go, demanding an encore.
Like good sports, WATIC came back on, stripped of everyone except vocalists Taylor Jardine and Jordon Eckes for a slower song You’ve Got it Made.
Accompanied by by bassist Mike Ferri, drummer Rob Chianelli and guitarist Cameron Hurley, WATIC then ended the night on a high note with the crowd’s favorite Both Sides Of The Story, before tossing their guitar picks and drumsticks into the frenzied crowd to round off the gig. For the fans, this gig was a winner.
