Don Broco at Victoria Warehouse — neck braces advised, t-shirts and fast food fancy dress optional
It was a sea of lost phones, crowd surfing, circle pits and items of clothing being swung like propellers — and you won't catch one person complaining.
On Wednesday night, Bedford-based band Don Broco brought their unmistakable and more boisterous than ever brand of post-hardcore, nu-metal and everything in between to the O2 Victoria Warehouse in one of the most chaotic and heavy gigs we’ve been to in a hot minute.
And it was glorious — glorious, glorious carnage.
Celebrating ‘The Birthday Party Tour’ and more than a decade together as a group, the British rockers have been around a while now but, in many ways, are only just getting the kind of credit die-hards feel they’ve deserved for a long time.
Their highly praised set at this year’s Reading Festival certainly helped put them on the map to a wider audience, not only giving some extra air time to their unique sound but shining a spotlight on the incredible energy behind their live performances. That being said, we weren’t quite prepared for this…
Don Broco smashed Manchester O2 Victoria Warehouse within an inch of its life.
It had been roughly eight years since we saw Don Broco live around the time of their second album — and not even in 0161; having to travel to Stoke on a random rainy night after their Manchester show sold out in the blink of an eye thanks to already fast-growing cult following.
They were incredible back then but having done some of their very best stuff since then, we were eagerly awaiting to see what those tracks would feel like in the flesh and they didn’t disappoint. Not even a little bit.
To give you an idea of how hard these lads go, frontman Rob Damiani walked out onto the stage donning a neck brace as well as sunglasses usually reserved for skiing. While we initially thought it was nothing more than a gimmick from a four-piece who are always happy to lean into the funny side of their music, he quickly confirmed it was legit and that he’d literally headbanged himself into whiplash.
Nevertheless, it didn’t stop him from jumping around and bobbing his head as firmly as he could get away with whilst whipping the crowd up into a frenzy of circle pits, moshes and a predictably chaotic wall of death. This sort of stuff can turn plenty gig-goers of a certain disposition off, but not this lot.
Don Broco’s pits are pretty legendary as it is, but they’re a different kettle of fish with a Manchester crowd.
Within seconds of walking out to fan favourite ‘Gumshield’, the tone of the night was established right from the off: people stomping their heads off, screaming their lungs out throwing their often middle-fingered limbs up in the air and thrashing the floor of Victoria Warehouse to bits.
We barely spent a single second not bouncing all over the place and immersing ourselves in one of the biggest, sweatiest and most ridiculous pits we’ve probably ever experienced. Ridiculous in every sense of the word, by the way.
From just as many people wearing genuine United shirts as there were Broco’s own p*ss-take merch of the kit in honour of ‘Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan‘ — another much-loved and heavily sardonic track — to people dressed up as minions, Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders, there was as much to see in the audience as there was on stage.
The KFC and Maccies mascots even got a shoutout on stage and a rapturous round of applause as they crowd-surfed to the front for their five minutes of fame, with people chanting their names just as loud as any lyric on the night.
Icons, every single one of them.
The set was mostly populated by other tracks off their most recent record Amazing Things (2021), but they still made room for throwbacks like ‘Fancy Dress’ and ‘Yeah Man’ off their debut album, Priorities; ‘You Wanna Know’ and ‘Superlove’ from their sophomore entry, as well as fair few from Technology.
Broco’s sound might have changed plenty over the course of their career but as Rob and co. rightly recognised in a heartfelt interlude before their next rager, their fan base hasn’t just stuck with them but actively encouraged their evolution and embraced every step towards a more bonkers and often intentionally humorous approach.
Be it the comedic music videos, outfits and antics on stage or having everyone do press-up pyramids back in the day, they’ve always been unapologetically themselves and their love of so many genres (including the heftier, harder stuff they drawn from more recently), along with Damiani’s ever-divisive vocals means that once you’ve heard them, you can spot one of their tracks within seconds.
But beyond that, it was the sheer effort both from them and the crowd that stood out to us. After non-stop pits and being swept from one corner of the room to another, everyone in the room was so knackered that plenty were tapping out by the last song. They left everything out there and it felt like we’d all climbed a mountain together.
Manchester! The Broco Arms will be taking over The Dockyard pub today from 3.30 (Media City M50 2EQ) 🍺🦖 50 exclusive Broco Arms tees available first come first serve, see you soon for a coupla pints 🍻 pic.twitter.com/43xa6a8Zko
People had been looking for lost phones and flicking the sweat from every inch of their bodies long before we reached the summit but despite being literally drained within an inch of their life and losing valuable possessions, there was nothing but laughter and smiles on everyone’s faces.
Now that’s the sign of a good gig.
Clearly emotional in bugging up the incredible support acts in Ocean Grove and Trash Boat and thanking the crowd, they informed their army of loyal subjects that they’d been going away for a while but that they’d be back with a new album and more appreciation an unquestionable truth: music is a powerful lifeblood that can see a light break through even your darkest days.
With that in mind, Don Broco signed off their first Manchester gig in ages in the most fitting way possible with what has become a post-pandemic tradition, as countless fans pulled off their tops and outer layers to swing them around for the mental health anthem that is ‘T-Shirt Song’.
It was one of the most magical moments we’ve had at a gig in a long time and one we’ll never forget. In case you were under any illusions that they’re still an up-and-coming rock outfit, you’re wrong: they’re absolute pros and fully serve to be packing out arenas across the world. Now time for a 10-year nap.
Last night marked K-pop group ENHYPEN’s first-ever visit to Manchester, the UK and Europe as a whole, so it was no surprise the crowd was ready to get ‘Loose’ as they took to AO Arena.
The lights dimmed, the fans screamed, and it had finally dawned on Manchester that it was officially ‘En-O’Clock.‘
It’s a bouncy bassline, synth-stinted number also known as ‘Brought The Heat Back’ that kicks the show off, and on a day when our city was surprisingly warm, this three-minute performance was very fitting.
ENHYPEN performing ‘Loose’ for 21,000 fans at AO Arena in Manchester (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
‘Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)’ had the crowd quite literally jumping for joy, ‘Given-Taken’ saw a similar response, while a personal highlight was ‘Bite Me’.
With lyrics like “Come here and get some” and “Just come over and bite me”, this song follows a perfect pure-pop formula that works every time; it’s hard to ignore.
‘Your Eyes Only’, which makes reference to the previous hit “You can bite me / You can play me”. Did we like this song? “Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya” we did.
Disco belter ‘Sweet Venom’ had the crowd captivated for just under three minutes with its “Swe-hee-hee-t” earworm lyrics in every chorus.
K-pop boyband ENHYPEN played ‘Tamed-Dashed’ during their ‘Walk The Line’ tour at AO Arena in Manchester (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
An extended electronic synth introduction plays out as the staggered-vocal single, ‘XO (Only If You Say Yes)’ begins, and it’s easy to see why this is a fan favourite.
Whether it’s the fact that it has an easy-to-follow but incredibly addictive chorus or due to it featuring on the soundtrack for the Netflix rom-com and To All The Boys I Loved Before spin-off, XO, Kitty.
Following this was the 2010s-reminiscent ‘Bad Desire (With or Without You)’, which felt like a callback to ex-boyband star Justin Timberlake and his return with magnum opus ‘Mirrors’.
This song warranted such a roar of cheers and applause that the band decided to give it a second play later in the set, although this time they opted for the English version, which was equally appreciated.
All seven members of ENHYPEN interacting with fans during their Manchester show (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
During interactions with fans between songs, ENHYPEN discuss what they recognise Manchester for, stating, “This city is really famous for its football”.
Instead of declaring their support for the reds or blues, the band opted for a smart and conscious, “We’ll leave it there” – well played, boys.
‘Paranormal’ signalled that this night of incredible dance-packaged music was coming to an end, but ENHYPEN’s version of an encore is much different to any other musical act.
These seven singing sensations decided to play not just one or two songs before saying goodbye to the Manchester crowd, they opted for five plus – phenomenal.
ENHYPEN at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
It’s time to ‘Scream’ as K-pop boyband ENHYPEN are about to land in the UK as they embark on their European leg of the ‘Walk The Line’ tour.
Global superstars ENHYPEN are visiting Manchester for the first time ever, trading ‘Highway 1009’ for the Mancunian Way as they play out in the highly acclaimed 21,000 seater, AO Arena, this bank holiday.
ENHYPEN consists of seven members, including Sunghoon, Heeseung, Jungwon, Sunoo, Jake and Ni-ki – all of whom have stayed loyal to the group since they formed back in 2020.
This very ‘Walk The Line’ tour kicked off almost one year ago with two sold-out stadium shows in Korea before making its way across America, and now the boys are sinking their ‘Teeth’ into the UK and Europe.
Expect this Manchester live music venue to feel like a living runway as these K-pop idols are known for their stylish looks and designer brand partnerships, such as Italian fashion house Prada.
Anyone after some ‘Sweet Venom’, also known as precious tickets to ENHYPEN’s upcoming Manchester show, will be pleased to know that they aren’t in ‘Fatal Trouble’; there are still a few options left if you act fast enough.
You’ll have to act fast, as we’re sure you’re aware these K-pop nobles have given everyone a serious case of boyband ‘Fever’, and there is absolutely ‘No Doubt’ you’ll have a fabulous night when you grab your tickets HERE.
ENHYPEN setlist
Brought the Heat Back
Fever
ParadoXXX Invasion
Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)
Given-Taken
Lucifer
Teeth
Blessed-Cursed
Fatal Trouble
Bite Me
Your Eyes Only
Loose
Scream
Tamed-Dashed
Sweet Venom
Go Big or Go Home
Moonstruck
XO (Only If You Say Yes)
No Doubt
Bad Desire
Helium
Paranormal
Drunk-Dazed
Go Big or Go Home
We’d like to hear and, more importantly, see this one.
What are the stage times for ENHYPEN in Manchester?
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm, meaning you can ‘Go Big or Go Home’ and still make sure you get your beauty sleep.
There is no confirmed support act as of yet, however, it looks like this will remain as they have fronted this tour independently across the globe.
Doors for this event are opening from 6pm, and this huge K-pop concert is expected to kick off at 7:30pm when this group reminds you that they ‘Brought the Heat Back’.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Danny Jones -
14th December 2023 
