By Callum Baker
Photography: Georgina Hurdsfield
Friday saw the hotly anticipated return to Manchester of pop-punk titans, The Story So Far. A nominal upgrade from their last UK venture, the renowned O2 Ritz played host to the night’s congregation.
A major draw for many attendees was the unity of the headliners and their main support coming in the form of emo rock heavyweights, Citizen. There was a notable consistency of energy and appreciation for the duration of both acts’ sets. This is indicative of their already well-established collective listenership implicitly acknowledged by Citizen, who wasted no time with the ritualistic formalities often expected of support acts with a crowd yet to win over.
In the politest possible way, Citizen and The Story So Far are largely two sides of the same coin – the former exploring the morose and sullen side of punk, whereas the latter are often characterised by their somewhat optimistic sentiment. Citizen frontman Mat Kerekes is a presence, to say the least. His broad frame starkly contrasts his emotionally charged and transparent lyrical content. This is elegantly unified with the band’s resonant, slacker guitar melodies and occasional sweet moments of grit.
The Story So Far, though gradually exhibiting signs of maturity as musicians and lyricists, don’t immediately establish themselves as a band who are interested in taking themselves too seriously. The band walk out and are subsequently joined by frontman Parker Cannon, swaggering into centre stage in an unquestionably Gallagher/Bez-esque manner. This, though baffling and somewhat unbecoming of the Californian and quintessentially American rock band, is largely welcomed by the crowd, predominantly composed of Mancunians.
The band power through a set which neither misses a beat nor overstays its welcome. Touring immediately off the back of their newest release, Proper Dose, which has succeeded a brief off-the-grid interval, they recognise the album’s need for a longer teething period before subjecting audiences to a proper showcase of their most recent work. As a result, they limit themselves to only select picks from their latest effort – a move that takes a lot of artistic self-reflexivity. Show goers are treated to a seemingly effortlessly delivered set which highlights every moment that has secured The Story So Far as one of the more credible staple pop-punk bands in a scene that is otherwise rife with sickly sweet oversaturation. The band re-join the room in a synergetic performance of fan-favourite ballad, ‘Clairvoyant’ – exuding emotion and electricity throughout the Ritz’s walls, fans are left on a soaring high note.
Feature Image: Press “It’s important to find your people. Don’t feel like you have to find this incredible producer or person who’s going to give you loads of money and change your life” says Lauerence Tratalos, one-half of the Northern duo responsible for Misper; a feature debut for director Harry Sheriff and script writer Tratalos….
Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker Fuel Café Bar in Withington hosts the fifth stop of six-piece band Ignoring Izzy’s ‘Motorway Musk’ tour, following the release of their debut single. The room buzzes with the promise of chaos, and possibly a few flying vegetables. Opening the night is Manchester-based Leucotome, a witch-folk trio blending soft,…
Featured image and gallery: Sub Khan Opening the night, Gabrielle eases the Co-op Live crowd into the spectacular night ahead. There’s no need for spectacle, her presence alone is enough with her deep vocals echoing around the arena. A performance rooted in control and feeling, each song reveals a different shade of her understated command. Operating…
Featured image and gallery: Sam Holmes Formed in Belfast in 2019, Chalk have already made a name for themselves. From support slots for Fontaines D.C., IDLES and Sprints, to taking to the stage at SXSW earlier this year, the band’s growth has been rapid and shows no signs of stopping. Touring their debut album Crystalpunk,…
Leave a reply