A soccer club in the “Music City” couldn’t escape having matchday traditions directly tied to music. So Nashville SC leaned into it.
The club has three primary matchday rituals, all tied to music that it celebrates: the guitar riff, the man of the match record presentation, and the club anthem, “Never Give Up on You”
“Never Give Up On You”
In a city not just known for its music broadly but for the songwriting in the city, the club understood it needed an original anthem. So the club, in partnership with its supporters and the Nashville-based band Judah & the Lion, created “Never Give Up on You”
“A club anthem is so much more than a chant. It’s something that can allow everyone to feel part of the club,” said Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre in a team release. “You might be in the stadium at a game, watching on TV or listening on the radio, and when you hear it and sing it, you are a part of our club and our family, because this is OUR song.”
“(Judah & the Lion) were fanlike in their enthusiasm and revealed an anthem that has a deep meaning and forever connection to our team, the fans and the city of Nashville,” said The Backline member Chip Wilkins in a release.
Unlike other club traditions, the team ends the night singing the song with the supporters after every home match, regardless of the result.
The Guitar Riff
Moments before kickoff, a guitarist will play a guitar riff to get the crowd excited before kickoff. Local and nationally known guitarists have been selected to play the riff. Some of the more known featured guitarists have been John Oats from Hall & Oats, Dave Mustine from Megadeth, Kevin Griffin from Better Than Ezra, and Johnny Cash’s son John Carter Cash among others.
Man of the Match record presentation
Following the match, the team’s man of the match is presented with a vinyl record. But the record isn’t just a prop. It’s pressed with the radio calls of the player’s highlights from that match, making it a playable piece of memorabilia for the player.
