Live Review: The Amazons & Otherkin - Albert Hall, Manchester 03/02/2018
After the release of their epic self-titled debut album last year, we couldn’t wait to catch The Amazons on their headline UK tour, and what better way with a sold-out show at Albert Hall, Manchester.
Support came from Otherkin, a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. With Albert Hall already filling up, they came out and played an energetic set. Fans had got here early just so they could see Otherkin’s set, who created the perfect atmosphere ready for The Amazons by asking the crowd to sing back their songs and get on each other’s shoulders, much to the rejection of venue security!
With Albert Hall now full to the brim, the crowd eagerly waited for the Reading boys to take stage. Going straight into ‘Stay With Me’, a song well known for making it onto the FIFA 18 soundtrack, the crowd quickly got moving.
Working their way through only a twelve-song set list, The Amazons made it apparent that they are in it for the long haul. Extending their songs with lengthy intros and outros, there was barely any time for cheers and applause between songs. The crowd sang back their songs, which included a mix of singles, a new unheard track and a cover of T-Rex’s song ‘20th Century Boy’ during ‘Little Something’, it was evident The Amazons were having as much fun as the crowd.
After finishing hit single ‘Black Magic’ they went off stage for a quick break before coming back and doing a two-song encore. Whilst taking to the keyboard and starting new single ‘Palace’, singer Matt Thomson finally spoke between songs and said “Hello, this is my favourite gig ever”. This only made the crowd livelier, and saw a lot of people sitting tall on shoulders, thankfully security let this slide and everyone was able to enjoy the last minutes of the set. With no time for applause the opening words of “yeeeaaah, yeeeaaah” meant that the much loved ‘Junk Food Forever’ would be the last song.
“Thank you, we’ve been The Amazons, we will see you soon”
Sitting somewhere in-between acts like Royal Blood and Palma Violets, their heavy guitar sound and singalong tracks are something to be excited about. With them being one of the biggest tipped bands to watch out for this year, they are onto something big. Showcasing a level of energy and confidence that only proves they could be future festival headliners, The Amazons smashed it!
Words and photography by Abbie Jennings