Featured image and gallery: Ben Redshaw

Exhilarating rock band Those Damn Crows sold out the Manchester O2 Ritz tonight with an outstanding performance once again. The connection this band has with their fan base is simply unmatched. By singing along to each lyric and chanting the whole night long, their fans tonight were in for a show of a lifetime. Storming through The Takedown Tour, Manchester was the only sold-out show, proving that they are the ultimate audience to perform for.

The special guest featured for this tour was British rock band The Cruel Knives. Opening the show with a unique performance that wildly revved up the sold-out venue, The Cruel Knives really got this crowd going. Starting the set right with ‘The Life That We Made’, this song really got the crowd going wild for the rock group.

Throughout their set, they performed some of the heaviest tracks that kept the vibe of the gig going the whole night. ‘Overdose’, ‘Hollow People’, and ‘Black Eye Friday’ were just a few on the set tonight, and they instantly gained a huge ovation, one after the other. Alongside this was a stunning performance from the band members as they took the stage and made it their own.

Closing their set was one of their songs which “hasn’t been played for a while,” as stated by frontman Tom Harris. Soon after ‘Shotgun To The Head’ concluded their set, the Manchester audience was nothing but stunned and gobsmacked by the performance from The Cruel Knives as they left the stage.

During the interval just before Those Damn Crows, I had a chat with Harris to ask how he felt about tonight’s show. He said: “There’s an anticipation building just before you go on and trying to build yourself up with plenty of energy to last the gig; after the gig, the adrenaline takes a while to wear off and you’re usually soaking in sweat.”

Soon after, it was time for the long-awaited return of Those Damn Crows. As the intro to their show began, fans spread all across the room, getting excited and thrilled for the show that unfolded before them. Thunderous roars filled the O2 Ritz tonight as the band took the stage and kicked off their set with ‘Who Did It’. It was an unreal experience as the crowd interacted with the band, screaming “Those Damn Crows” in unison as a crash of applause took over the room.

Early in the show, frontman Shane Greenhall jumped into the photographer pit and joined the crowd as he got up close to his dedicated fan base. During the whole performance, Shane made sure that everyone was included as he got up onto the balcony and performed ‘Rock N Roll Ain’t Dead’.

In addition to the absolute madness of the band’s performance, the light show and stage production added a visually stunning element to the performance, enhancing the overall experience. Those Damn Crows show is a unique, tremendous, and remarkable show that is not to be missed for rock fans. I have even quickly become a fan after only seeing them twice live, with the previous time being when they supported The Goo Goo Dolls at Manchester Academy earlier this year.

As the show came to a close, the final few songs performed were some of their greatest. ‘This Time I’m Ready’ and  ‘See You Again’ completed this show tonight, with fans leaving in pure joy. To further fuel their epic performance, the band even included rock icons Iron Maiden’s ‘Run to the Hills’ as they departed the stage to one of the loudest ovations I have ever witnessed at a gig.

For all the rock fans out there, this is not a show that you can miss. Be sure to check out Those Damn Crows as they tour around the UK, with some final performances this month in London and Brighton.

INHALE/EXHALE is available on the Those Damn Crows website.

Gallery: The Cruel Knvies supporting Those Damn Crows

Gallery: Those Damn Crows at Manchester O2 Ritz