Live Review: WSTR - Corporation, Sheffield
27th February 2026
Support: Downcast, Broken Narrative, Wnsdy at 7
Words & Photos: Martin Hingley
A sweaty, jam-packed Friday night in Sheffield provides the perfect backdrop for a high-energy night of British pop-punk, headlined by Liverpool’s WSTR.
Opening the bill tonight are Sheffield rockers Wnsdy At 7, who bring a fresh blend of pop-punk to the stage with hints of Waterparks and State Champs. Having hit the scene last year, the three-piece only have a handful of songs (four to be exact), but that doesn’t stop them from putting on a great performance to get the night started. Beginning with T.A.L.K., its high vocals and super catchy chorus immediately impress those who have come out early.
Midway through their set, they add a classy touch by playing a couple of covers, understanding that not everyone knows their material yet and that their catalogue is still small. They choose 5 Colours In Her Hair by McFly and Year 3000 by Busted, both of which get the crowd singing along. It’s a slightly unusual choice, but done in their style it works well. Wnsdy At 7 pull off a solid opening slot, and I’m looking forward to seeing them again soon.
Up next are Broken Narrative, another Sheffield band who have been building a following on the scene despite only forming around a year ago. As The Prologue begins and its punchy guitar riff kicks in, the room starts to bounce, with pockets of fans already singing along. On stage they carry an aura that draws the audience into the stories told through their songs which something they clearly aim for with their cryptic themes and thoughtful lyrics.
Broken Narrative thrive off the audience’s participation, sparking the first big sing-alongs of the evening and pushing the energy up another level, so much so that the guitarist ends up on his last set of strings before the final song. Overall, it’s a thumping, riff-driven performance that wins over plenty of people in the room.
Downcast are up next, and by now the venue is packed to capacity. They waste no time getting down to business, bringing out WSTR vocalist Sammy Clifford during the second song of their set, Home. It marks the first time the track has been performed live with Clifford delivering his vocal part, and the crowd respond instantly as the first real mosh pits begin to form.
Bassist Jeff Bowyer even joins the pit wearing a Ghostface mask, creating some chaos in the process. After asking whether anyone in the room is part of the emo crowd, the band launch into their cover of My Chemical Romance’s I Don’t Love You, sending emotions running high before the end of their set. Before leaving the stage, they thank tonight’s headliners WSTR for having them along. Finishing with Catharsis, Downcast cement their place on the British pop-punk scene as a strong live act well worth catching.
As tonight’s headliners, Liverpool-based WSTR take to the stage, the only words that come to mind are complete and utter carnage. Arriving to a wall of cheers and screams, they turn things up to 11 with an incredibly high-energy performance. With a constant stream of crowd surfers flying overhead and landing on the stage (this is a no-barrier show) only to dive straight back into the audience, it’s clear how much the city has missed them.
Vocalist Sammy Clifford relishes the chance to interact with the crowd, giving fans plenty of opportunities to sing and scream down the microphone with him while delivering a strong vocal performance of his own. Despite being on the final stretch of a European tour, WSTR show no signs of slowing down, with Alex Tobijanski donning a very rockstar furry leopard-print bucket hat and sounding tighter than ever on bass.
There’s a clever moment as the band finish The Latest with an outro of The All-American Rejects’ Gives You Hell before launching straight into See You In Hell, sparking a huge sing-along about a twisted holiday and showing that WSTR are more than just a typical pop-punk band.
As the show races towards its end, the band bring out the big guns with Featherweight, Eastbound & Down and 3 Days Sober, each one sending the room into overdrive with crowd surfers and bouncing fans throughout. With time running out, WSTR stay on stage and finish their set without an encore giving fans one last treat with Filthy for a final mosh before heading home.
Tonight has been an incredible evening of British pop-punk and shows just how strong the scene has become across the country, with bands dreaming of following in You Me At Six’s footsteps. Personally, I can’t wait to see WSTR again if every show is as good as this one.
Photo credits: Martin Hingley
