LIVE
On Tuesday 12th December, Bedford alt-rock band Don Broco made their return to the North East for their first show in the region since their last headline tour in 2021. With an extremely warm and sweaty welcome from O2's City Hall, the highly anticipated 'The Birthday Party' Tour has been up and down the country complete with a stellar support line-up.
The night kicked off with a energetic performance from Australian band Ocean Grove who made it clear that they were extremely excited to be playing in the UK. St Albans 5-piece Trash Boat completed the warm up section of the show and were the perfect choice of band to play before Don Broco, the crowd almost full from doors. Every word to their original songs was screamed straight back to them.
Don Broco stormed onto stage just after 9:30 wasting no time at all setting the tone for the evening with their explosive track 'Gumsheild' taken from their 'Amazing Things' album, the opening so memorable and the stage decorated to replicate the cover art which was a nice touch. Continuing the night in style, fan favourite 'Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan' was next on the setlist - the stage lit up in a bright red light for the full number.
Donning funky sunglasses, a Bruce Willis t-shirt and a neck brace, lead singer Rob Damiani told the crowd that he would usually have joined them in the pits but he'd injured his neck a few shows prior but couldn't let anyone down. His stage presence is infectious and the energy he usually has on stage was only slightly less than usual. The passion that pours from Don Broco on stage as a whole is a wonderful thing to witness - they clearly live for playing live shows and beamed from ear to ear throughout, not forgetting guitarist Si's signature high kicks.
Playing through a set of tracks old and new, 'Come out out to La' and 'ACTION' brought out the chaotic mosh pits and crowd surfers that Don Broco are known for. The groovy 'Superlove' from 'Automatic' took us straight back to 2015 and 'Priorities' was a top highlight of the show, a nostalgic trip right back to the roots of the band. Don Broco have explored a range of genres across their albums but Damianis' stand out vocals make it hard not to know that you're listening to one of their tracks within seconds of pressing play.
An acoustic rendition of 'Yeah Man' was a cool suprise addition to the show, but the slower part of the set didn't last long when the funky opening of 'Revenge Body' came straight afterwards, followed immediately with the electronic-rock track 'Endorphins'. No Don Broco gig would be complete without the next track 'Everybody' - the perfect chance to get right into the heart of the crowd and feel the energy that pours from the fans and the band themselves and getting a spot in the best place in the house for the legendary encore 'T-Shirt Song' where a sea of t-shirts and hoodies were swung in perfect unison!
Even after almost 10 years in the business, Don Broco have proven that they continue to evolve with every release. Their live show continues to grow and is more exciting each and every time. Thrilling and action packed, the fans make their gigs even better, adoring everything they do.
Don Broco, you have an open invititation to come back whenever you want.