Ahead of the release of ‘Wake Up Sunshine’ (3/4/20), I decided to write about some songs that I love that are rarely played live or have never even been played live.

10. ‘Get Down On Your Knees And Say You Love Me’ (Dirty Work, 2011)

This song would be amazing live!! ‘Dirty Work’ is often put down as the boy band All Time Low album because it is the album that was a flop due to Interscope records dropping All Time Low. However, this song has some great lines, such “I’ve been playing a fool, four three, two many times…” Then verse two: “Let me count the waves, five six seven, eight…” It has a brilliant combination of drums and guitars as well as writing. Overall, it is a dancing song that is more pop than pop-punk that would enliven a crowd at a gig.

9. Dancing With A Wolf (Future Hearts, 2015)

This song did feature on the ‘Back To The Future Hearts Tour’ but it will probably not feature on a setlist for a while because of being a non-single despite having a memorable drum beat. In fact, Rian did want this song to specifically be a drumming song. He produced the song with Mike Green.  I particularly like how Alex’s voice is so expressive as though he has been let down by liar. Hopefully it will be played live again in the future.

8. To Live and Let Go (Don’t Panic 2012)

Don’t Panic is viewed by All Time Low as a fresh start album after having been dropped by Interscope and having gone back to Hopeless records. ‘To Live And Let Go’ is a song about needing to move on and recognising that it is for the best. Rain Dawson said on Instagram live that it is a song that they have never played live that he wants to play live. It is often overlooked amongst the singles on this album, such as ‘Back Seat Serenade’, ‘Somewhere In Neverland’, and  ‘A Love Like War’ on the ‘Don’t Panic It’s Even Longer Now’ version. However, I think that ‘To Live and Let Go’ stands out with the singles on this album and it is a song that does need more attention.

7. Toxic Valentine (Jennifer’s Body soundtrack, 2009)

Jennifer’s Body is not know to be a great film, far from it!!! Nevertheless, this single is criminally neglected. The song has some cliche lyrics about someone who is toxic and you cannot trust and Alex sounds like he is shocked by the secrets through his vocals. Jack, Zack and Rian’s instrumentals collaborate very well. As the film did not do well, this song is often forgotten.

6. Take Cover (Straight To DVD 2 Side B, 2016)

As this song is on a B side of a live album, it is easy for people to overlook and forget. Yet the lyrics about adversity taking cover and pushing forward despite the difficulties in life are motivating. Fortunately, I have been to one of the few tours that has featured this song on the setlist. ‘Take Cover’ was played on the All Time Low tour that featured SWMRS and Waterparks as support. As their 2017 UK tour was before the release of the Last Young Renegade album and after Future Hearts, the setlist was exceptionally varied and possibly one of my favourite setlists!!!

5. Return The Favour (Dirty Work, 2011)

‘Return The Favour’, ‘Get Down On Your Knees And Say You Love Me’, has a bit of a dance tone with bitterness. You can really imagine Alex questioning someone who may have betrayed him during the second verse. ‘Dirty Work’ is put down a lot but it does have some excellent tracks that are forgotten about.

4. Canals (Don’t Panic It’s Even Longer Now, 2013)

As this is an added track on the re-issue ‘Don’t Panic It’s Even Longer Now’, it is easy for this song to become forgotten. Nevertheless it was played live on the UK tour with SWMRS and Waterparks and it has now become one of my favourite All Time Low songs that I have experienced live and Rian’s drum beats are exceptional. During the live performance: Alex changed the lyrics “Am I a villain?” to “I am a villain” and I appreciate it when song writers mix up the lyrics.

3. Oh Calamity (Don’t Panic It’s Even Longer Now, 2013)

‘Oh Calamity’ is a song about feeling as though you think that you were doing okay until you met someone who you thought that you loved, and then drifting apart. Although the song is slower than most All Time Low songs, the melody sounds reminiscent as though the persona is struggling to move on but he knows that he needs to. I would really enjoy experiencing this song live and I feel it would fit well in the middle of a setlist.

 

2. The Next Best Thing (The Three Words To Remember When Dealing With The End, 2004)

‘The Next Best Thing’ is a difficult song to find; it is not on streaming services due to being dated. If you want to listen to the first All Time Low EP, it can be found on Youtube. Despite being the band’s first EP and being teenagers, the instrumentals are outstanding and could pass as coming from a band who are half way through their career.  If ‘The Next Best Thing’ featured on a setlist, I would put it as the second or third track to enthuse the crowd as a result of the fast paced guitar chords.

1. Running From Lions (Put Up or Shut Up, 2006)

Running From Lions may be from early on in All Time Low’s career years before my current favourite album, Nothing Personal, but I would go as far as saying that ‘Running From Lions’ is one of my favourite All Time Low songs. Instrumentals are scintillatingly fast-paced creating a tone of madness to represent issues with making relationship mistakes. For this reason, it is my all time favourite under-rated song, and I hope to hear it live one day.