Live Review: Yours Truly - Deaf Institute, Manchester 29/08/2022
Yours Truly kick off what will no doubt be a trailblazing tour with a show of epic proportions at Deaf Institute.
I arrived to a sea of brightly coloured hair and shadowy black t-shirts, bearing the familiar names of My Chemical Romance and The Story So Far. Feeling like I’ve been welcomed by a bit of an emo homecoming, the support band took to the stage.
With their high energy take on emo-infused alternative rock, Beauty School had the crowd in the palm of their hand from the word go. Frontman Joe Cabrera had all the charisma and panache you could ask for, backed up by those satisfying emo-tastic two-part harmonies.
They’ve set up shop somewhere between Modern Baseball, Knuckle Puck and Tiny Moving Parts - ‘Pawn Shop Jewels‘ particularly reminded me of the latter with it’s math-influenced guitar breaks. Indeed, Beauty School seem to have found their musical sweet spot, powering through enthrallingly bittersweet headbangers perfect for accompanying any break-up/moment of societal dissonance you may be experiencing.
A particular highlight was during ‘Take It Slow’, watching their third guitarist, back to the audience, soloing directly to the drummer as if there was no-one else in the room. An excellently crafted, confident set from this up-and-coming band from Leeds. Definitely ones to watch!
In between the two acts, ‘Numb’ by Linkin Park came on, triggering a crowd singalong of which I was enthusiastically part of. I do love the pop-punk/emo community! Then it was time for the main show.
Yours Truly. A name that, as the gig continued, became more and more apt. Lead singer Mikaila Delgado’s performance was nothing short of captivating, and having watched Tune-Yards explosive show the week before, I have a very recent reference point for on-stage brilliance. I feel particularly blessed to have been in the presence of two amazingly talented front-women in just as many weeks!
A born performer in every sense, she danced the confines of the stage with joyfully reckless abandon - an attitude that soon rubbed off on the crowd. With a powerful voice to match, every hard-rock climax hit like a train. Yet it was in their more intimate moments that Yours Truly shined brightest. Mikaila wore her heart on her sleeve at every step; a borderline tearful rendition of ‘Half of Me’ was a particular powerful moment. Pop-punk isn’t well known for moments of intimacy, yet for Yours Truly it seemed like second nature,
That’s not to say that they weren’t capable of hitting hard. Their set was jam-packed with some of the catchiest, hardest rocking takes on pop-punk; truly deserving of the much coveted title of ‘All Killer, No Filler’. What’s more, the crowd belted out every single word, from the intensity of ‘Circles’ to the driving melancholy of ‘Afterglow’. Wielding influence from powerhouses like Paramore, You Me At Six, Tonight Alive, each song seems to out-anthem the last.
Every player onstage was talented and characterful in their own way, but particular props are in order for drummer Bradley Cronan. His playing was potent, his energy infectious - taking their already powerful sound to the next level.
They did encounter the inevitable unforeseen road-bump however; during the aforementioned ‘Half of Me’ the lights started flashing, as if there was about to be a drop to end all drops. Laughing their way through it, they soon sorted it and jumped straight back into a chorus, never for a moment losing control - as professional as they are endearing.
A masterclass in performance, and a brilliant start to a tour. With that unforgettable night of music, Yours Truly are propelling themselves into the hallowed halls of emo greatness. Miss them at your peril.
Words by Ashley Gerrod
