After dropping their new album Wiped Out! Last year, this is the first chance to fully exhibit the album to the UK fanbase and the wonderfully picturesque O2 Ritz in Manchester is the setting for one of the final shows on the tour for The Neighbourhood. The smoke filled stage plays right into the opening of Greetings From Califournia. The Neighbourhood are a band that like to let the music stand out for itself, and the stage set up and their presence is dark, gloomy and the equivalent of plain black and white. If their stage show could be shown in black and white it definitely would be.
Daddy Issues presents a rather complex lyrical standing for some of the younger members of the audience to fully gather. None the less, possess a deep baseline that flows through more songs in the set that you’d realise. The Neighbourhood are an act that can have their hands in multiple genres and the fans in the crowd represent both sides of their musical scale and tracks like Jelou$y and Warm feature on the bands mixtape that expertly showcase their multiple genre adventures.
Although the set, overall flowed charismatically through vocalist Jesse Rutherford and his leg tangling dance moves, it was slightly lacking in upbeat melodies. For the most part tracks had a standstill audience but the silky smooth presentation of Rutherford left the crowd in wonderment. However Afraid holds a candle above the majority of the set before it as the entire crowd hangs on the words “Fuck you anyway”. The truthfully told lyrics and soothingly ringing guitar sounds make for a memorable track.
The band’s most famous track Sweater Weather is the penultimate anthem that causes the biggest sing-a-long of the night. Ending on RIP 2 My Youth with its strong lyrics and drum beats is an honest end to the set. The 17 song long track list presented an array of their own individual mixed bag of musical genres and they’re reaping the benefit with fans from all musical backgrounds pouring into every show.
Cover photo by Kelly Hamilton
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