There’s chaos, then there’s As December Falls in Manchester chaos. The Nottingham rockers turned the O2 Ritz into a full-blown riot (in the best way), headlining with the kind of energy that makes your ears ring for days and your heart feel full for weeks. Touring under the tongue-in-cheek banner of the Everything’s On Fire But Were on tour, the band delivered exactly that: absolute bedlam wrapped in the comforting blanket of an independent band who’ve built their fanbase one emotional lyric and sweaty crowd surf at a time.
But before Bethany and co. took the stage, the crowd got a proper warm-up.
RedHook, straight from Sydney, wasted zero time bringing the noise, think bubble machines, middle fingers in the air and a blood-soaked dress that somehow still felt punk glam. By their second song, the pit was open and arms were waving. “Manchester, are we ready to rip this out?” yelled frontwoman Emmy with venom and charm. Cue white strobe frenzy, pit chaos, and a crowd bouncing like they’d been waiting for this all year. Bonus points for the sax solo and cheeky “flip us off if you don’t know it” moment that turned into a sea of waving middle fingers mid-chorus. Honestly? Iconic.
Next up: The Hara, local legends with heavy riffs and heavier pits. Frontman Josh crowd-surfed like it was second nature, while their guitarist jumped into the pit like he forgot he was meant to stay on stage. Beth from ADF even crashed their set for a surprise duet that ended in hugs, screams and full-body goosebumps. Slower moments like “Trophies” gave a moment to catch your breath, before the panda hat came out and all hell broke loose. No, seriously. A full-blown mosh with someone dressed as a deranged panda. Manchester, never change.
Then came As December Falls, and if the crowd thought they were warmed up, they were wrong. From the second Bethany strutted out under purple and blue lights, it was clear she had the crowd completely in her hands. Fans screamed the “da da da” part of Still Running Out of Time like their lives depended on it. I’m Better hit hard, and Bathroom Floor glowed under a soft blue haze before descending into the kind of emotional chaos only this band can pull off.
Bethany’s voice, equal parts grit, sweetness and straight-up rage, carried the night, but the band’s chemistry made it all feel like you were watching your mates absolutely kill it at their biggest gig yet. There were heartfelt thank yous, a guitar pick hand-off mid-set after spotting a fan’s sign, and a genuinely moving shout-out to their journey as a self-made band. A decade in, four albums down, and now a top ten charting record, they’re proof you don’t need a label to blow the roof off.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any wilder, the crowd broke into ballroom dancing mid-mosh. Rewrite glided into Bathroom Floor under a white-blue haze, soft then striking. Then came the nostalgic chaos, phone lights up, the crowd belting Where Are You, Timmy singing for the first time ever to a roar of approval. Even the Grim Reaper made an appearance during Grim Reaper. By Mayday, the floor felt like a bouncy castle, arms waving, bodies flying. And instead of the usual encore tease, the band gave us two bonus tracks straight-up, wrapping with a sea of crowd surfers and a sweaty, joy-filled group photo.
This wasn’t just a gig. It was a sweaty, cathartic, scream-until-you’re-hoarse night of absolute joy. As December Falls might not be a household name just yet, but if they keep playing like this? They’ll be everywhere soon.
0 Comments