Live Review: Boston Manor, O2 Ritz, Manchester 19/09/2024
In support of their new record Sundiver, Blackpool rockers Boston Manor are embarking on their most exciting tour yet. On this cool Thursday evening, they reached the feat of selling out their biggest headline show to date at the famous north-west venue O2 Ritz. It’s no secret that Manchester is a city known for their love and adoration of alternative music - and Boston Manor are ready to take it over the only way they know how.
Opening the night is one of the greatest imports from the south-west, rising stars Split Chain. A band that was born out of the legendary influence of nu-metal and grunge, Split Chain are an act that have been on the rise since their debut in early 2023; and their reach has finally spread into Manchester. With cheers, claps, and a mosh pit filling their on-stage demands, they were the best choice to bring the fierce energy from the very beginning. Being an ever so grateful gang, their thankfulness was also appreciated by the crowd of mostly unknowing attendees. Whether they knew their music, only knew their name, or didn’t know a thing before this set, that band left the stage with hundreds of new fans. This is the start of an outstanding journey for this Bristol collective.
Following these newcomers is Trophy Eyes, an Australian outfit who have made headlines around the world for being a part of that underrated Australian punk scene surfing around the world. And for the Mancunian audience, they were right at home. Being their first tour across the waters since before the COVID-19 lockdown, they came to bring their latest hit album Suicide and Sunshine to the stage and the reception was just as positive as their record gained. With an entire crowd screaming every lyric back, it makes one wonder when it will be their time to headline the O2 venue in this fine city - and with a sizeable fan base such as what was presented before them this night, this might be a sooner reality than anyone would expect. With the reaction they struck with tracks such as ‘Kill’ and ‘You Can Count On Me’, it won’t be long until they are gracing Manchester with their presence again, hopefully.
Now for the main event. The band of the evening. Everyone’s patience is about to pay off as the house lights shut off, the golden stage lighting begins to glow, and the Blackpool boys come on and kick things off with ‘Datura’, taken from their latest release.
It can be a tricky situation to play new material live just days beyond its general release. The worry is having to navigate a fraction of the audience not knowing the words, or not enjoying it as much as the older music they’ve grown to love and listen to more often. These fears were put to rest as even after six days of Sundiver being released to the public, Boston Manor fans knew what they were doing. They’ve heard it all, they’ve trained in their own way for this, and the room was still filled with singalongs and screams. Hollering of approval and whooping of pure joy. New tracks such as ‘HEAT ME UP’ and ‘Fornix’ going down a treat, in the same way their older songs such as ‘England’s Dreaming’ and ‘Liquid’ had (with the latter being jazzed up by an appearance from Trophy Eyes frontman John Floreani). This is any music act’s dream: to have their fans knowing and enjoying the newer songs as much as they had and still do with the older ones.
While promoting what they all agreed on as being their best album to date, Boston Manor are a band who know their audience. After 11 years together, they know that whether someone is a fan for five minutes or five years, it doesn’t matter as long as they are listening to the music, buying the merchandise, and giving their full support. With this, as has been with all of their shows, they have two tracks which will remain staples in their live sets: ‘Passenger’ and arguably their best and most popular single ‘Halo’. Making a full event with these two near the end of the night, it was their own last-hurrah. That last final blast of energy before they begin winding down and concluding for the time being.
Especially in their nearby cities such as Manchester, Boston Manor are that badly kept secret in the British rock scene. They are an outfit that have been advancing rapidly, growing strength by strength as the years pass by and the albums come out. With this being their biggest selling headline night yet, there’s no telling how much bigger and further they could get. The sky's the limit and this is a band that can stretch into outer space.
If there are any music fans who have yet to watch out for Boston Manor, do it now.
Words by Jo Cosgrove
