Sports Team Deep Down Happy with No2 Chart Position, announce biggest UK Tour and Headline O2 Academy, Brixton 29 April 2021.

Sports Team announce their biggest UK tour to date, with the band back on the road doing what they do best next Spring and headlining O2 Academy Brixton on 29 April 2021. The tour went on general sale on Friday 26th June 9am BST.

The past week has been a career defining moment for the six-piece, achieving number #2 in the Official Album Charts with critically acclaimed debut Deep Down Happy, which holds the highest first week sales for a debut album by a British band in four years. The band also became the biggest seller of the week, leading on physical sales (10K), digital downloads, and scoring the biggest vinyl sales of a debut record by a British artist in 2020, with a #1 on the Official Vinyl Chart. Sports Team also share the animated video for ‘Long Hot Summer’, the video created by animator Daniel Jamie Williams, which documents a playful journey through a kid’s dream.

 Tap here to watch Long Hot Summer

 Tap here to listen to ‘Deep Down Happy’

UK TOUR

• 20 April Dublin The Grand Social
• 22 April Leeds Leeds University Stylus
• 23 April Manchester The Albert Hall
• 25 April Nottingham Rock City
• 26 April Glasgow SWG3
• 28 April Bristol SWX Bristol
• 29 April London O2 Academy Brixton

Tour is on general sale now tap here for tickets . 

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Sports Team have built an incredibly loyal, impassioned fanbase, who carried the Gaga x Sports Team chart battle conversation on Twitter. From a Lewis Capaldi summoning circle which lead to support from the superstar (proving witchcraft does work), to TV fisherman Jeremy Wade, and Sam Fender, Sports Team fans were out in force, showing comradeship for the future of guitar music. With no record stores open, and no live shows due to lockdown, the six-piece still managed to achieve the biggest selling album of the w­­eek in Independent Retail, a mammoth feat for Britain’s next breakthrough band. Now the band look to Spring for a huge live celebration and will finally be face to face and fully immersed with their community of fans.

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Official Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

'CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED' Sports Team achieve highest first week sales for a debut album by a British band in four years, with debut Deep Down Happy

On the 12 June Sports Team achieved the highest first week sales for a debut album by a British band in four years, with critically acclaimed debut Deep Down Happy. Sports Team enter the OCC at #2, becoming the seller of the week, leading on physical sales (10K) and having the edge on digital downloads; as Lady Gaga only just takes the top spot. Sports Team have also scored #1 on the Official Vinyl Chart.

With no record stores open, and no live shows due to lockdown, the six-piece have still managed to achieve the biggest selling album of the w­­eek in Independent Retail, a mammoth feat for Britain’s next breakthrough guitar band. Blossoms were the last British band to record the highest week one sales in 2016, with Wolf Alice in 2015, Royal Blood in 2014, and the 1975 in 2013. The 12,248 sales week one, has eclipsed debuts by Shame, Idles, The Big Moon, Pale Waves and The Magic Gang.

Sports Team have built an incredibly loyal, impassioned fanbase, who carried the Gaga x Sports Team chart battle conversation last night on Twitter. From a Lewis Capaldi summoning circle which lead to support from the superstar (proving witchcraft does work), to TV fisherman Jeremy Wade, and Sam Fender, Sports Team fans were out in force, showing comradeship for the future of guitar music.

Tap Here to listen to ‘Deep Down Happy’

Tap here to Watch ‘Camel Crew’ video

“It was Blur vs Oasis but with Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, shadow ministers and Jeremy Wade. Bizarre but amazing that the community of fans we’ve built around this can take on a global superstar. Live forever” – Sports Team

4* THE TIMES 5* DORK - 4* NME - 4* INDEPENDENT - 4* DIY - 4* DAILY STAR - 9.5/10 LOBF
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Connect with Sports Team
Official Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

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PRAISE FOR DEEP DOWN HAPPY >

SPORTS TEAM achieve #1 in OCC midweek & drop 'Camel Crew' video, 6Music Album of the Day

On Friday, Sports Team released their debut album 'Deep Down Happy' to critical acclaim. The album has entered the OCC midweek at #1, ahead of Lady Gaga and All Time Low, with the band commenting "this shows how much community still counts for". Deep Down Happy is 6Music's Album of the Day, and Sports Team will be hosting a Twitter listening party with Tim Burgess (Charlatans) on Thursday, as well as a Reddit AMA tonight. 

In the meantime, the band have dropped the lockdown Camel Crew video set in a virtual dolls house (a feeling we are all too familiar with): "We started this video idea in the studio then all got home for lockdown and started having the same dreams. That escalated into making voodoo dolls of each other. Not sure a post lockdown world will view this is a cultural high point, but here it is," says lead singer Alex Rice.

Sports Team are a band of six singular characters, who have been described as one of the most raucous, electrifying and chaotic acts in the UK. Their debut album Deep Down Happy is 12 scabrous vignettes about the trials and tribulations, the hopes and the dreams, of young Brits. The songs on Deep Down Happy are sharply drawn pen portraits of small-town torments and ultimately escapism. 

The band calls to mind a loving but fractious family, bickering one minute, weeping with laughter the next. The six-piece have built a large, fiercely loyal and fervent fanbase; coming up on the back of word of mouth live hype, drawing round the block queues to early gigs at The Five Bells and Moth Club, and celebrating a Kentish Town Forum headline at the end of last year. The band have stayed in contact with fans through their WhatsApp community group and letter writing throughout lockdown, and will be doing what they do best, putting on a show, soon.

Tap here to Watch 'Camel Crew' video

Tap here to Listen to 'Deep Down Happy' 

"Superb displays of wit and sardonicism from one of Britain's brightest guitar bands..A middle finger to conservative Britain" – 9.5/10 Line of Best Fit

5* DORK - 4* NME - 4* INDEPENDENT - 4* DIY - 4* DAILY STAR - 9.5/10 LOBF

 👀👀👀
Connect with Sports Team
Official Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

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PRAISE FOR DEEP DOWN HAPPY
"Recalling the rambunctious spirit of Blur and Pulp" – 4* THE TIMES
"As far as 'guitar music' is concerned, it's game on. Full of charm & unpredictability" – 4* Independent
The gobbiest new bunch on the block cement their early promise with a debut album full of hedonism, tribalism and untamed energy" – 4* NME
"Love them or hate them, dismiss them at your peril" 4* DIY
"Sounding like a gang having fun should be simple, but it's a spirit that's been missing lately. Sports Team deserve a medal for bringing it back" 4* Daily Star
"an album soaked in teen spirit...Sports Team are the complete package" – 5* DORK
"Their tales of life in your 20s in modern Britain is unmistakably now" – Q
"A debut as wry, energetic and charismatic as their inexhaustible live presence has always promised" – Loud & Quiet
"Sports Team evoke britpop spirit of Pulp, while throwing in nods to American punk (Iggy pop is a fan)" – Daily Mail
"May we introduce you to your new favourite band" – ES Magazine
"The weirdo UK guitar band you need to know"- PAPER