Rock is alive and well as two giants of the genre demonstrate that it never faded away and is flourishing. The Struts and Barns Courtney bands have dedicated years to honing their craft with distinct signature styles and are set to deliver an unforgettable experience.
James Bruner kicks off the show solo, just him and his guitar. He starts with a gentle, soothing vibe, though he seems a bit jittery at first. Gradually, his band members make their way onto the stage, ready to join in on the action. Then suddenly—bam! The rock and roll explodes into life from seemingly nowhere. James ditches his suit jacket as he flaunts not only his dance moves but also an impressive display of rock swagger. Whether it’s sheer confidence or part of their act, James is now bare-chested; who knows what this infectious rock energy will inspire next? While I hope he keeps those pants on—though some fans might disagree—the performance reaches its climax when James leaps into the crowd amidst a storm of fast-paced instrumental music behind him. His unexpected antics win over the crowd, earning him the nickname “the suit guy.” Rock on, suit guy!
As this brief set unfolds, James and his band quickly win over the audience’s hearts. The enthusiastic attendees even go so far as to dub the drummer “Jesus,” confirming that things are going well for them.
In conclusion: it was a short yet delightful set that left Manchester buzzing about this Alabama crew’s memorable impact.
It’s time for The Struts to strut their stuff! These English glam rockers arrived, and the venue was ablaze with energy from both the band and the audience. It’s seamless. Luke Spiller, the charismatic frontman, takes to the stage with a flair reminiscent of Austin Powers, ready to save us all with his electrifying rock tunes that carry a hint of cheekiness. From the very first track, fans are singing along and grooving with disco moves! The Stuts kick off with ‘Primadonna Like Me,’ an ideal choice for both new listeners and longtime followers.
“Is this a rock ‘n’ roll show? Is this Manchester? Then scream like you mean it!” Luke shouts during an instrumental break as the crowd’s enthusiasm reaches new heights! Continuing with unexpected twists, Luke introduces a brand-new song they haven’t even recorded yet. He teaches everyone in attendance its catchy chorus—ooh ooh mow mow meow—which brings back memories of The Mighty Boosh! This fresh tune is called ‘Can’t Stop Talking,’ and it’s undeniably cool.
As they delve deeper into their setlist, The Struts perform ‘Better Love,’ which has become highly requested from their latest album Pretty Vicious. At last, fans get to hear it live. Phones light up capturing another soon-to-be classic track: ‘Pretty Vicious.’ Although still a relatively new addition within their repertoire—it’s already cementing itself among other beloved cult classics adored by fanbase worldwide!
Luke is on form, seizing every opportunity to chat with the audience, he repeatedly urges the crowd to grab their phones because this next song is perfect for it. “Take out your phone,” he says, “point it at the person you came with and say, ‘Hi, I like you,’ but remember—I’m truly in love with the camera!” Appropriately enough, the song is titled ‘I’m in Love with the Camera.’
As the show approaches its finale, there are still a few tracks left to play, including ‘Put Your Money on Me.’ The audience joins together perfectly chanting “Oh yeah” right on cue. Luke announces it’s their last chance to dance along! Adding more spontaneous improvisation into his act, he orchestrates an amusing noise battle between two sides of the venue—left versus right—to see who can be louder. With impressive precision and timing akin to a conductor’s baton wave switching from side to side instantly; they follow flawlessly. It’s reminiscent of that scene from Ice Age 2 where Sid becomes king of fire and leads his minions who mimic his every move.
In an even crazier twist, Luke challenges everyone by asking them all fall silent when he signals stop—and despite being packed tightly inside a bustling venue—you could hear a pin drop before launching back into playing their final track ‘Could Have Been Me.’ They wrap up exactly at one hour fifteen minutes which feels almost surreal! The Struts have certainly delighted long-time fans while also captivating many newcomers experiencing them live for first time ever!
Barns Courtney kicked off with an unexpected Frank Sinatra intro, ‘My Way.’ I was caught off guard by this opening until the guitarist suddenly dashed onto the stage, launching into a powerful guitar riff. Amidst swirling smoke and deep blue lighting, the rock performance continued in a style distinct from The Struts. It was undoubtedly a challenging set to follow, but Barns commanded the stage like a pro as he began with ‘Fun Never Ends.’
Barns was both surprised and delighted that the audience knew all the lyrics to ‘Supernatural.’ Throughout his performance, Barns spoke little; instead, he let his music and dramatic stage presence convey his message. Meanwhile, his guitarist exhibited wild energy that had me worried he’d tumble off the high platform as he expertly executed both guitar licks and dance moves near its edge.
This powerhouse rocker offers a different vibe compared to The Struts—his sound is richly talented with moody rock elements blending high and low notes. Though it’s an alternate atmosphere, it meshes perfectly thanks to Barns’ distinctive voice. Yes, there’s an acoustic guitar on hand; no surprise renditions of ‘Wonderwall’ here since we’re in Manchester! It’s likely serving as a brief respite for everyone involved.
Kicking things off with ‘Glitter & Gold,’ Barns delivered a powerful performance, accidentally smashing yet another guitar—truly embodying the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll! He kept the energy high with another hit, ’99,’ and earned extra points for having a pianist/synth player in the band.
No rock concert is complete without some climbing action. Barns made his way up to the balcony directly above me, so unfortunately, I missed part of the spectacle. The night was filled with magical moments, especially since it was a special occasion for our wild guitarist Andrew Martin—it was his mom’s birthday! Everyone joined in to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Donna while Barns showered Andrew with praise.
While performing ‘Kicks,’ Barns leapt into the audience and unintentionally found himself crowd surfing, though his initial plan was simply to sing near the barrier. A massive thanks goes out to Dylan from the security team, who swooped in like a stealthy hero to assist Barns back onto the stage. The show concluded with ‘Fire,’ arguably one of the standout tracks of the 2010s! Hits like ‘National Treasure,’ ‘Young in America,’ and ‘Vapor’ were performed, it felt like a fever dream!
In this epic clash between two contemporary forces destined to shape rock music’s future for years ahead, rest assured that with bands such as The Struts and Barns Courtney, rock isn’t fading away anytime soon. I highly recommend catching both these bands live when they announce their next tour dates!
