The rowdy rebels from London are back with another cut from their forthcoming album Gulp! entitled “The Game”. Having met and formed in the stiff and prestigious confines of Cambridge University, Sports Team have always been at odds with their decadent origins. With a sound hard to label or compare to other bands operating in the British Alternative / Indie Rock scene, the band have gained quite a formidable identity as a live act guaranteed to inspire debauchery and mayhem at their shows. Think Bullingdon Club meets The Libertines.
I doubt this latest single is going to do much for their reputation with pubs and venues around the country. With a chorus that is sure to test the patience of even the most seasoned doormen and security, Sports Team are back with a lovely bit of ammunition for their live repertoire. Speaking with Dork, the band explain a bit of the meaning behind the song: “It’s a mantra for a ‘nation of landlords’. Something to mutter to yourself behind the electric gates as the world burns around you. It’s that bunkered, “island mentality”, where someone has allowed themselves to believe that the news is what happens to other people.”
Often leaning into colloquial lyrical territory that romanticises middle England and indulges in our intimate fascination with Wetherspoons and chip shops, Sports Team aren’t afraid of ploughing depth with their music and making a statement. “The Game” seems to continue in this vain with lyrics that challenge small town complacency and lack of socio-political awareness, with lyrics like “Don’t you grow to that damp mentality, To that look but never see, To that old monotony”. It’s no wonder that their debut album Deep Down Happy was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2020, describing themselves as a band that “calls to mind a loving but fractious family, bickering one minute, weeping with laughter the next”, Sports Team provide brave and cutting insight, with “The Game” and their previous single “R Entertainment” being no exception.
With their new album Gulp! arriving on July 22nd, and a string of UK and European tour dates recently being announced, it looks like Sports Team are in for a big year. Don’t be shy and miss a chance to see them live, just maybe take this article as a warning and prepare accordingly. You can pre-order their new album and buy tickets for their upcoming shows here. UK dates below:
06/04/2022 – O2 Institute – Birmingham
07/29 – Edinburgh Academicals Sports Ground – Edinburgh
08/05 – Cardiff University Students’ Union – Cardiff
08/27 – Victorious Festival – Portsmouth
