Midway through their UK tour, Liverpool’s own The Night Café brought their signature Scouse charm and infectious riffs to a sold-out Manchester Academy 3. After supporting acts like Sundara Karma and Blaenavon and playing at major UK summer festivals in 2017, it was now The Night Café’s time to headline and captivate their audience.
Opening the night, Manchester native Dave C Rupert promoted his new single ‘Taunt,’ with his band delivering a solid set as the crowd began to fill up the venue. However, the energy truly ramped up during the second support act, Plaza, whose frontman sported The Night Café merch—delighting the audience. Plaza, longtime friends of the headliners since Blaenavon’s 2017 tour, successfully fired up the crowd, especially with tracks like ‘Youth’ and ‘Speak It,’ turning the room into a mosh pit of excited music lovers.
When The Night Café finally took the stage, they were greeted by a wave of cheers. Kicking off their set with ‘The Way of Mary,’ the intimate space transformed as the crowd jumped, sang, and danced along. The band’s signature catchy guitar riffs kept the energy alive through the night, with tracks like ‘Felicity,’ ‘Together,’ and ‘Strange Clothes’ making the venue buzz with excitement. The Night Café expressed their love for their fans throughout, repeatedly shouting, “We love Manny!” as the crowd cheered back. Drummer Carl played with a grin, and guitarist Josh kept the indie spirit alive with his signature hair flips.
The set took an emotional turn when frontman Sean introduced an unreleased track and asked the crowd to grab a dancing partner for the next song, ‘Addicted.’ The audience responded by swaying on friends’ shoulders, singing along to heartfelt lyrics like, “I’m addicted to you, and you know it.” After the softer moment, fan-favourite ‘Mixed Signals’ picked the tempo back up, while their latest single ‘Turn’ kept the dancing and mosh pits going.
The band closed the show with ‘You Change with The Seasons,’ leaving fans in a sweaty, euphoric state after a night of non-stop dancing and moshing. Josh’s 10-second crowd-surf attempt added a fun touch to an already thrilling finale, sealing the night with unforgettable energy.
A live gig from The Night Café is an experience not to be missed, leaving fans with their tunes stuck in their heads for days. Be sure to grab the final tickets for their UK tour here.
