Audio

Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Albert Hall Manchester – groovy, hazy and effortlessly cool

Clementine Hall - 28th March 2026

Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Albert Hall proved exactly why they’ve built such a cult following over the past decade.

Formed in 2010 by frontman Ruban Nielson, the band first broke through with their scrappy, lo-fi self-titled debut and since then, they’ve become known for their signature blend of psychedelic rock, funk, and warped pop.

I first saw the band back in 2023 at Glastonbury, and yes sorry I am one of those annoying people that bring it up all the time.

They’re the perfect band to close your eyes, sway your head and tap your foot to – and that’s exactly what the crowd were doing in unison last night at the Albert Hall.

From the second they stepped on stage, there was no rush – just that signature hazy groove met with enough stage lights to sink a ship.

You could barely see them on stage, but that made it even cooler. And you can only imagine how gorgeous the Albert Hall looked with hundreds of spotlights in different colours whizzing all over it.

Early tracks simmered and pulled us in before the band stretched out into crowd pleasers like ‘Multi-Love’ and ‘Hunnybee’. What an absolute tune by the way.

There wasn’t much crowd interaction but, again, there didn’t need to be. They let the music do the talking and by treating us to some of the most epic guitar solos we’ve ever heard (no, seriously), we’ll forgive them for not talking to us.

Each song melted into each other as the band oozed effortless charm and talent throughout the almost two hour set, which is no mean feat.

Of course, a sea of phones shot up for ‘So Good at Being in Trouble‘, their most popular track which prompted a harmonious audience singalong. Not very harmonious by me, admittedly.

It was a fantastic ending that left the audience feeling united by the laidback brilliance of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and I hope they don’t leave it too long to come back this time.

Featured image – The Manc Group