Live Review: Rancid - O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester 21/06/2023
Californian punk legends Rancid return to Manchester for the first time in over a decade. Was it worth the wait?
It’s been over a decade since Californian punks Rancid last hit UK shores. Barely out high school at that point, I spent the day drinking and have little to no recollection of the show itself, just the hangover that reared its head the day after.
Thankfully, there’s no such issues this evening. And though there’s always reservations when going to a gig at Victoria Warehouse, as we head into the converted mill in Salford Quays, the anticipation that ripples through the sold-out crowd is palpable.
As is the heat. Taking our places for The Bronx, it’s clear that combination of sticky summer weather, half-arsed air conditioning, and every punk north of Birmingham being in the room is going to make for a warm, if not uncomfortable show.
Having seen the Bronx a few times now, it’s only recently that their furious brand of hardcore has resonated. Unfortunately, however, it struggles to do so tonight for a crowd that are quite clearly here for one band. Clattering through a six-song set including usual favourites such as ‘Heart Attack American’ and ‘Knifeman’, their aggressive approach to the genre is chaotic and cathartic, yet tonight appears to miss the mark on all but the most ardent of fans front and centre.
There’s just enough time for a trip to the bar before a deafening roar engulfs the venue as the four-piece step onto a Manchester stage for the first time since in 11 years, launching immediately into recent single ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’.
It’s a fast and furious start, huge circle pits erupt around the room and crowd-surfers throw themselves forward with wilful abandon. It might be a new single, but it’s welcomed as if it’s been a part of the set for years; the crowd ecstatic to have the band back after so long.
From here on out, Rancid take stuff back to the ‘90s and keep it there for almost the entirety of the set. Early outings for ‘Roots Radicals’, ‘Maxwell Murder’ and ‘Radio’ find the venue in full voice, the circle pits in front of the stage never bothering to close between tracks.
Given how little space there is between songs too, it makes sense. Tonight sees Rancid fly through a 27 song set at a breakneck pace; the only real respite coming in the form ‘Hoover Street’ a little after the halfway point. Of course, the fans here didn’t pay for a relaxed atmosphere, and they sure as hell aren’t going to get one either.
Though in theory touring in support of their recent album Tomorrow Never Comes, it’s their self-titled debut and seminal fan-favourite …And Out Come the Wolves that form the backbone of the set, with rousing renditions of ‘Salvation’, ‘The Wars End’ and ‘Old Friend’ all absolute highlights.
Indeed, it’s a testament to Rancid’s songwriting chops that a scrappy ‘90s band from Berkley, California can build a setlist made of nothing but fan-favourites and singles. And though there’s definitely some deep cuts thrown in for good measure – ‘Dead Bodies’ for instance, ‘I Wanna Riot’ for another – it’s a perfectly put together set that never once falters or feels thin on the ground.
‘Fall Back Down’ signifies the start of the really big hitters, something confirmed as they launch straight into ‘Tenderloin’; the guitars screeching and clattering over Matt Freeman’s dexterous bass licks. A particularly solid version of ‘Time Bomb’ finds the whole venue on their feet but it’s final track ‘Ruby Soho’ in which the atmosphere reaches fever pitch and 3500 people sing their hearts out.
And just like that we’re left blinking into the house lights, soaked in sweat, hoarse and with aching legs, but as the crowd files out into the muggy Manchester night, we all know that this was Rancid at the very top of their game. Just don’t leave it ten years next time eh lads?
Words by Dave Beech
Photos by Maryleen Guevara
