Shame Return to Seattle

We were lucky enough to witness Shame back in 2018 during their first year supporting debut record Songs of Praise. We have such a vivid memory of The Crocodile being packed and the high energy the show generated. We’ve been fans from the start and hearing the announcement of their new tour in the states for the follow up Drunk Tank Pink was great. The South London school friends, Charlie Steen (vocals), Sean Coyle-Smith (guitar), Eddie Green (guitar), Charlie Forbes (drums) and Josh Finerty (bass), are taking the world by storm.

The night kicked off with They Hate Change that left everyone impressed and taken by their set. We liked catching them and seeing someone new that was actually really good. Make sure to check them out if you haven’t heard of them before. It was an early show, but fans slowly filled the main room of the new Crocodile by the time Shame was due.

The British band took the stage and from the start Steen demanded everyone there be present and attentive. It was also very entertaining to watch Finerty as he doesn’t stop moving around. He runs back and forth on the stage, jumps, backflips, and doesn’t miss a note as he hyperlapses through the set. They started the night with “Alibis,” “Alphabet,” and “Finders of Steel,” as the audience energized from the vibe.

Steen jumped into the pit multiple times to join the moshers that steered the floor, but towards the end he jumped down and removed an aggressive mosher himself adding, “We don’t do that here, we want you to have a good time.” Highlights included “Concrete,” “The Lick,” “One Rizla,” and the  show closer, “Snow Day.” We can’t stress just how much fun Shame is during their live performances. You come out feeling more alive than ever before and that’s not easy to find these days. Steen and the band really know how to engage and keep you following along, amongst creating pure pandemonium.

Words and photos: @s.barkalakis