A sea of rockers were treated to an unforgettable night by alternative nu-metal band Don Broco as the Bedford band brought the party to O2 Victoria Warehouse on their ‘Birthday Party’ tour.
Openers Ocean Grove and Trash Boat warmed up the crowd with a pair of high-intensity sets before the main event emerged to headbanging crowd favourite ‘Gumshield’ off latest album Amazing Things.
The heavy sound and lightning-fast rap set the tempo for a night of pulsating, feverish energy as the band demonstrated why they’re one of the best British acts to watch right now.
Satirical social media anthem ‘Manchester Super Reds No. 1 Fan’ and heavy social commentary ‘Uber’ followed in a triple header of hardcore tracks from Amazing Things, which most of the 17-strong set came from.
Frontman and main vocalist Rob Damiani was a magnetic presence onstage, despite doing the entire hour-and-a-half set wearing a neck brace after (literally) headbanging so hard he gave himself whiplash at a previous gig.
Apologising to the crowd, Damiani said they’d have to make do with lame dad dancing instead. But they had nothing to fear as he sprinted up and down the stage with a boundless energy that would no doubt have his doctor seriously concerned – and proved how much fun this band has playing live.
They struck a perfect pitch with their song choice, alternating between the variety of eclectic sounds they’re known for, from experimentally distorted track ‘Bruce Willis’ to poppier crowd pleasers like ‘You Wanna Know’ from Automatic.
Pints went flying throughout as fans appreciated the heavier, more experimental sound of the band’s later music. In between songs Damiani bantered the crowd but was also clearly grateful for their continued support.
Taking a quick moment to recover, he said: “We write every album weirder than the last and you guys are still there for us. I’m sure every band says this but you guys are the best f*cking fans in the world.”
And they certainly came out in force, filling the Warehouse and moshing to their hearts’ content. Many of them had been to an earlier tour stop in Manchester and they fully immersed themselves in the high-octane set, pantomime booing the band for taking time off next year – before quickly cheering at the announcement they’d be writing new music.
Highlights from the crowd were a pair dressed as Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders, who were rightly singled out onstage for their costumes, and there were shoutouts for viewers celebrating their birthday as Damiani donned a party hat for recent single ‘Birthday Party’.
Interspersed throughout the set were a couple of throwbacks to debut album Priorities – which had its ten-year anniversary last year – and diehard fans in the audience appreciated their inclusion, particularly ‘Fancy Dress.’
Damiani impressively juggled screamo, rap, the deep vocals he’s famous for and a softer falsetto throughout a set that left every voice in the house ragged as they shouted along.
His voice shone on a soft acoustic version of ‘Yeah Man’, which allowed the crowd a brief moment to breathe before the intensity returned with the much-requested ‘Revenge Body’.
Older favourites ‘Come Out to LA’ and 80s-inspired ‘Superlove’ rounded out a dynamic, genre-hopping set.
Every member of the band was on song: a particular highlight was drummer Matt Donnelly, whose own impressive vocals led the crowd through the melancholy ‘One True Prince’.
The set finished with another raucous, chaotic track in ‘Endorphins’ before the crowd went wild for ‘Everybody’ and encore track ‘Fingernails’, singing along to every word.
As the night came to a close Damiani thanked their supporting acts and gave a heartfelt speech on the power of music, especially in the wake of a crushing and isolating pandemic, to get us through dark moments in life.
To that end, the crowd took off their shirts and spun them round in the air for mental health anthem ‘T-Shirt Song,’ singing along in unison in a fitting close to an extraordinarily powerful gig.
The crowd left feeling like they’d powered through a marathon – and it was fantastic. Fans can (and should) snatch tickets for the five remaining tour dates while they’re still available here.
