Audio

Review | Jonas Brothers turn Co-op Live Arena into a time machine

A reminder of how freeing pop music can really be.

Oli Lowe - 13th September 2024

Watching the Jonas Brothers at the Co-op Live Arena was like stepping into a time machine that none of us ever wanted to get out of.

Although the tour was literally called ‘Five Albums, One Night’, we still somehow had our doubts as we walked up to the ever-impressive Co-op Live that we’d actually get the full spectrum of hits we were hoping for (mainly due to my disbelief that they’d actually play Camp Rock songs…)

But sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say ‘fair play’, because the Jonas Brothers delivered nothing non-stop hits, from nostalgic classics to the modern-day stuff.

Jonas Brothers Co-op Live review — What a venue, what a night. (Credit: The Manc Group)

Jonas Brothers at Co-op Live, Manchester – Review

Special mentions from the off

Before I really get into the bulk of the review though, I’d just like to shout out Mimi Webb, who opened the show brilliantly at the Co-op Live. From the moment she walked on stage you could have genuinely been fooled into thinking she was the one headlining.

Delivering many of her hits such as ‘Erase You’, ‘House on Fire’, ‘Good Without’ and more, she was the perfect support act for a crowd that was ready to party the night away.

Special mention also goes out to the actual venue: last night was admittedly my first time stepping foot into the Co-op Live and I was absolutely blown away, not only by the sheer size of the place but by how smoothly everything ran.

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I know it may sound like a moot point but the best venues are the ones where you barely even notice all the effort that goes into the operation of ensuring customers have the best experience possible.

There’s nothing worse than paying good money for a ticket only to be held up in queues for the bar, toilet, or even just to get in; Co-op Live certainly ensures those problems don’t occur. It genuinely filled me with a little bit of Manc pride knowing that we have a music venue that good, right on our doorstep.

Let’s go, Jo’ Bros

Anyway, onto the actual concert and can I first of all just start by saying, or rather screaming, AHHHHH!…

I’ll be the first to hold my hands up and admit Camp Rock was a seminal part of my early teenage years and that I’ve had a burning love for the Jonas Brothers ever since.

One thing that I really respected about their show is how they didn’t try to hide from their roots. There’s many a ‘child actor turned superstar’ out there who would love nothing more than to eradicate the memory of them ever being a plucky Disney channel regular.

Not these lads, however. The Jo’ Bros seem to fully own their pre-teen and small screen past, wearing that reputation not with any adolescent cringe but instead like a badge of honour.

The show truly did span their entire discography, from ‘Gotta Find You’ (Camp Rock), all the way through to their latest record – fittingly called, The Album. It was two and a half hours of banger after banger… after banger, after BANGER, (I could go on—actually, I might…); after banger, after banger.

We even got a 1975 cover, for crying out loud!

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Teenage screams straight from our teenage dreams

Okay, I’m done. Seriously though, the crowd were absolutely loving every moment of it. Every time one song ended and another began, within the first three notes being played, all you could hear was 23,000 simultaneous screams from adoring fans, ourselves firmly included.

In summary, the vibes were immaculate, the songs were stunning, the audience had the times of their lives and for one very special evening with inhibition left at the front door, a trio of siblings from across the pond made it felt like all might be well in the world once again.

Hyperbole? Maybe, but that’s what pop music’s all about.

For future reference, we’ll fight anyone who dares to mock the Jonas Brothers as just some guilty pleasure.

That anyone should show shame for enjoying because last night they completely rocked (‘Camp Rock!’) the show, in an arena already heralded by many music legends.

You just have to be grateful for moments like these. Thank you, Jonas Brothers.