Manchester Academy 2 hosted scouse sensations Stone who proved they are about to burst into the forefront of the UK rock scene.
Made up of lead singer Fin Power, guitarist Elliot Gill, bassist Sarah Surrage and Alex Smith on drums, the Liverpool four-piece have brought their chaotic energy to venues across the UK since 2021.
Their latest show kicked off with punk-rap band shortstraw.
They were brought onto the tour after a call to action on Stone’s socials for up and coming artists to join them on the road.
Their energy bounced from wall to wall with songs ‘sods law’ and ‘smile more’ being the standout tracks.
A tight and punchy six song set was exactly what was needed to set the pace of the show for the night.
Four-piece alternative act Tough Cookie was a joy to watch as their songs hopped through influences from across the rock genre to maintain the crowd’s energy.
Pair that with a great stage presence, intricate breakdowns and crowd interaction, you have a band to watch in 2024 and beyond.
They have not released any music on streaming but have popular live sessions on their website.
Stone then took to the stage in their usual style soundtracked by The Prodigy.
Lead singer, Fin Power, heads straight into ‘I Let Go’ , a party song which journeys through a messy night out.
Fan favourites ‘Fuse’ and ‘Let’s Dance to the Real Thing’ followed, as their self described post-apocalyptic scally rock oozed through the tracks.
Their most recent release EP ‘punkadonk 2’ featured throughout the set with the dancy ‘Left Right Forward’ and ‘Am I Even a Man’ an introspective piece on modern masculinity.
But you can’t stay still for long at a Stone gig with the energy cranked through three unreleased tracks to give a flavour of their much anticipated debut album, is set to be released in 2024.
Each song showcased different aspects of the band’s sound with a heavy rock track like ‘My Thoughts Go’, love song ‘Queen’ and an unnamed track which featured a duel rap with support shortstraw.
The crowd responded to these with the same energy to songs which have been out for years which goes to show that this band isn’t going anywhere.
A highlight of the set was their performance of ‘Money (Hope Ain’t Gone)’, an anthemic track which cements the band as a voice for the youth which espoused a message of hope and a want for change.
Their set ended with the double gut punch of ‘Waste’ and ‘Leave It Out’.
The latter, which is their debut single, still remains a song which fans descend into huge pits for.
As the encore concluded, Power took to the microphone and said: “Stone thrives off of community.”
And that is exactly what last night proved.
Stone are a band who don’t forget where they have come from and strive to create a real community with the fans.
Their intimate launch shows are always affordable which show they recognise the current state the world is in and make sure that no matter where you are from or what background you come from Stone is the band for you.
If you have never been to a Stone show before – go.
