Live Review: CLEOPATRICK - Academy 2, Manchester, 22/03/2025
Toronto duo CLEOPATRICK stun Manchester’s Academy 2 with a performance that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
The band’s sophomore album ‘FAKE MOON’ has sent shockwaves through the music world. Exploring a range of new sounds, the latest record shows off a whole new side of CLEOPATRICK. The release of the new body of work prompted the Canadians to embark on a lengthy tour overseas. Manchester’s Academy 2 was one of the stops, and fans were more than eager to catch the outfit live.
The venue filled up quickly once the doors were open. There was a real buzz in the air of the iconic Oxford Road as gig goers got ready to sing and mosh their hearts out.
Kicking off the evening’s entertainment was PROJECTOR. Their energy was so raw and full of emotion. They brought a cool chaos to the stage and worked their way through a fast-paced, gripping set that captivated the crowd. CLEOPATRICK certainly knew what they were doing when they asked PROJECTOR to open for them… they had the crowd moving straight away.
Their set was brilliant. One track of theirs which was particularly impressive was their latest single: ‘The Sham! The Sham! The Sham!’
The Manchester crowd responded to their explosive energy and lapped it up. Everyone was well and truly up for the main event now.
CLEOPATRICK graced the stage at 9PM, and they walked on to receive a hero’s welcome. The crowd let the band know that they were happy to see them, letting out a thunderous cheer in unison.
The band then gave the audience exactly what they came to see. They kicked straight into the huge number ‘GOOD GRIEF’. The bass sent the room berserk. It felt as though CLEOPATRICK were shaking the walls with the thudding bassline.
The crowd went wild. Pretty much everybody in the packed-out venue moshed, bounced and lost themselves in the beautiful frenzy of ‘GOOD GRIEF’. CLEOPATRICK stunned the entire audience right from the off. They set the bar astronomically high with their performance of ‘GOOD GRIEF’, and they didn’t let it slip at all from that point onwards.
Early on the crowd were treated to some of the material from the sophomore record ‘FAKE MOON’. Two of the tracks performed were ‘HAMMER’ and ‘PLEASE’. The latter of those was just incredible live. The acoustic-driven tune was infectious with its gripping melodic style. The material from the recent album was transcended when performed. The guitar chords were slightly fuzzier and seemed to be full of even more angst and emotion. The drums during ‘PLEASE’ were also stunning. They really set the pace of the song. Ian Fraser’s expert abilities on the kit were shown off as he built tension through the performance of the number.
‘FAKE MOON’ is an album which has translated perfectly from the studio to the stage. The crowd’s reaction to the new material evidenced this. Everyone’s attention was captivated by the new tracks, and many in attendance were belting out the words.
Perhaps the best moments of the gig came from the band’s heaviest tracks. One which was particularly brilliant was during the huge track ‘hometown’. The suspenseful number had the crowd charged up and ready to explode. When the band kicked in and the thunderous sound of the fuzzy bass and crashing drums erupted, the audience moshed like it was their last chance to do so. It was wild.
Another of the plethora of special moments of the night came during the song ‘bernard trigger’. The iconic duo that makes up CLEOPATRICK swapped instruments for a song. The crowd loved it.
The tail end of the set was home to some of the biggest mosh pits of the night… and for good reason. Songs like ‘GREAT LAKES’ with its fuzzy, immersive bassline, had the crowd in a frenzy. Things went up yet another notch for the final song of the evening. ‘FAMILY VAN’ was the designated finale. It didn’t disappoint. The Manchester crowd relished their final opportunity to lose themselves in the music. Front to back, the room went wild. Right in the centre was where the real action was. One huge pit formed, and the crowd flung themselves around in a display of beautiful chaos.
With that, CLEOPATRICK bid Manchester farewell. Their visit to the great musical city won’t be forgotten in a hurry. Fans will hope that they won’t have to wait long to catch the band again.
Words by Matthew Caslin
Photography by Katie Probert
