O2 Forum Kentish Town, 27 September 2024
“This is the one. The big one,” proclaims Henry Cox, vocalist for Boston Manor. Tonight marks the band’s biggest headline show to date, as they play London’s 2000-capacity O2 Forum Kentish Town. Since their debut EP back in 2014, the Blackpool-born-and-bred band has steadily risen to success. Still, they had always remained in the semi-obscurity, playing venues’ second rooms and sitting comfortably a few rows down on festival lineups. But tonight’s show proves that not only are Boston Manor destined for greatness, but that they are already well on their way there.
Within the first thirty seconds of the show, it’s obvious that playing in bigger venues suits them. The stage swims in thick fog, drenched in blinding hues of green, blue, red, and white. Almost cinematically, the band stride on stage and break into ‘Datura (Dawn)’, the atmospheric, dream-like opener to their latest album, Sundiver. It’s certainly a grand entrance. The theatricality works wonderfully, and from the first moments, the audience is rapt.
They may have only released their debut album in 2016, but their command of the stage and audience demonstrate the band have experience beyond their years.
The following two songs, ‘Container’ and ‘Floodlights on the Square’, are a thrilling barrage of noise. Thunderous guitars, brutal drums, and rumbling basslines pair beautifully with Cox’s driven cries. When played live, these tracks also have a newfound grit and sense of urgency. Boston Manor’s entrance may have leant towards the theatrical, but they haven’t lost the raw edge and DIY amongst blinding lights and higher budgets.
Their performance is so tight, in fact, that it comes as a bit of a shock when Cox introduces ‘England’s Dreaming’, a track from their 2018 record, Welcome to the Neighbourhood as “one for the oldies”. Their stage presence is that of a band with many more years of experience, so this comment highlights just how relatively new Boston Manor still is. They may have only released their debut album in 2016, but their command of the stage and audience demonstrate the band have experience beyond their years.
‘Sliding Doors’ and ‘Horses in a Dream’ allow Boston Manor to further showcase their talents. With staunch conviction, Cox strides the length of the stage and gestures in time to the music, often acting out lyrics. To either side of him, guitarists Ash Wilson and Mike Cunniff and bassist Dan Cunniff move with equal purpose, all while drummer Jordan Pugh rules the back of the stage with feverish power. Their energy is contagious. It feels like they’re trying to conquer the stage and make it their own, all while leaving no shadow of a doubt that they have earned their rightful place on it.
When the band are performing, their sheer authority over the stage demands the audience’s attention. However, in the moments when Cox is interacting with the crowd, he comes across as charmingly bashful. Perhaps it’s the nerves or perhaps it’s awe at the sheer scale of the show, but either way, the result is endearing. It elicits effusive cheers from the crowd in solidarity.
It might be the end of the show, but it also decidedly feels like the warmup for a new era for Boston Manor.
‘Liquid’ is a notable highlight, as Trophy Eyes’ John Floreani comes on and performs alongside Boston Manor. Floriani and Cox bounce off each other, resulting in a moment of sheer thrill and excitement from the pair. With Floreani featuring on the studio recording, seeing them perform ‘Liquid’ together feels like a full-circle moment.
In contrast to ‘Liquid’s unbridled energy, ‘Inertia’ and ‘Bad Machine’, two of the band’s relatively slower songs, demonstrate that they can do reflective ballads just as well as their usual full-pelt post-hardcore.
Finally, ‘Dissolve’, ‘Halo’, and ‘Crocus’ bring the show to a breathless, dizzying climax just before Cox effusively declares his dislike for encores. Wasting no time, they launch into the final two songs, ‘Passenger’ and ‘Foxglove’. The last twenty minutes of the concert are pure euphoria. The audience is completely and utterly engrossed in the performance, and the band feed off this energy, with each cheer and singalong propelling them to new heights. Perhaps without realising it, Boston Manor have just given a masterclass in how to put on a rock show.
Leaving the venue, there’s a sense of accomplishment in the air, as the audience – and perhaps the band, too – begin to realise the magnitude of what they have just witnessed. It might be the end of the show, but it also decidedly feels like the warmup for a new era for Boston Manor. With grit and grime, killer melodies, and softer moments to balance it all out, there is plenty of appeal in their material. And for naysayers who claim guitar music died in the 90s? It only takes going to one Boston Manor show to prove that rock and roll is not just alive but thriving – and Boston Manor is leading the charge.
Image and words: Sophie Flint Vázquez, no use without permission
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