Music

Daði Freyr @ Manchester Academy review and gallery – joke filled dance-pop experience

1 211

Featured image and gallery: Gracie Hall


Australian three-piece, Blusher, set the stage for the evening with their dream pop vocals and mesmerising dance moves. With original songs like ‘Dead End’ and ‘Softly Spoken’ and covers of Nelly Furtado’s ‘Say it Right’ and ‘Love at First Sight’ by fellow Aussie, Kylie Minogue. A set full of glittery, girlie pop beats and lyrics about female friendships that perfectly represent the clear chemistry between the members on stage.

Standing at 6 feet 10 inches, Daði Freyr draws the crowd in with his wit and brooding vocals. With a huge inflatable version of himself behind him, he asks the crowd to repeat ‘football’ back at him. To his delight they comply. 

Despite the audience mainly knowing the artist through Eurovision, they groove and move to every song. From the Icelandic part-rap ‘Kemur þér ekki við’ on his 2019 & Co. album, to the whimsical synth of ‘Trying’, the barely 60-word song that highlights the personal struggle of just trying. There’s even the German language song, ‘Bitte’, which is reminiscent of the Berlin techno scene. 

Going into the first Eurovision hit of the evening, ’10 Years’, the crowd comes alive and sings every lyric to the heartwarming love song. After a few more euro dance tunes, Daði launches into ‘Think About Things,’ his Eurovision’s mega hit from 2020. Elated, the crowd ascends into full voice

Daði begins his encore with an acoustic rendition of McFly’s ‘Obviously’, in homage to Bolton born lead singer, Danny Jones, followed by a funky upbeat rendition of Atomic Kitten’s ‘Whole Again’ to seal off a high energy, fun filled evening.


Daði Freyr @ Manchester Academy


Blusher @ Manchester Academy

About the author / 

Gracie Hall

1 Comment

  1. Finnyfinfin 12th December 2023 at 11:25 am -  Reply

    Beautifully written and amazing pictures

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Warehouse Project Presents: The Prodigy @ Depot Mayfield review – a night of war cries and warrior dances from rave electronica pioneers

    Featured image and gallery: Kaitlyn Brockley The rumble of trains passing through Piccadilly station, the hollers of touts (“tickets, buy or sell?”) and security (“have your IDs ready”), and the excitable chatter of gig-goers all audibly backdrop the outskirts of Manchester’s Mayfield Depot this dark, damp evening.  Leaving the outside chill and travelling along the…

  • The QuietManDave Prize crowns 2024 winners

    Featured image and gallery: Leo Woollison Crook Angela Cheveau and Kate Carne were crowned winners of the 2024 QuietManDave Prize on Friday. The short-form writing prize is held bi-annually to honour the memory of the much-loved and well-known Manchester writer and critic Dave Murray, who passed away in 2019. The writers were each awarded £1000…

  • The COMMUNITY Issue: Call for print submissions – Get involved with your student magazine

    In each print issue, aAh! Magazine explores one word which runs as its theme. We are excited to announce that the theme for our upcoming print issue is COMMUNITY. aAh! Magazine invites all Manchester Met students interested in journalism, writing, design, illustration and photography to pitch ideas to be considered for print publication for the…

  • FemWear: Manchester brand creates clothing solutions and builds community for women living with endometriosis

    Featured image: FemWear A revolutionary clothing brand is changing the narrative for women living with gynaecological and gut health conditions. FemWear, founded by 27-year-old designer Roya Rasouli, offers not just fashion but a sense of comfort, empowerment and community for women navigating health challenges. For a decade, Roya unknowingly battled the pain of endometriosis, a condition…