LIVE REVIEW: All Time Low, Manchester Arena.

Feb 14, 2016
3 min read

It’s a big night for All Time Low. A year after their arena tour with You Me At Six they had returned to Manchester as headliners in their own right, and the excitement was palpable. With rising stars Against The Current and heavy-hitters Good Charlotte gracing the bill, the night was set to be the perfect mix of new and nostalgic, and it was clear Alex, Jack and the gang were holding nothing back.

The night kicked off in a flurry of energy as Against The Current entered, bringing hooks galore and some of the best chops of the evening. Hardly intimidated by the huge space or the task of opening the show, the trio’s energy was boundless, and as the last chord of Running With The Wild Things died away the New York rockers had the crowd utterly converted. Chrissy proved a frontwoman to be reckoned with, with her quick charm and undeniable vocals ensuring her wish “I hope we make a lot of new friends tonight!” was easily granted.

Their set showed a maturity rarely seen in bands their age, with the huge riffs of Gravity sitting perfectly besides the summery vibes of brand new offering Forget Me Now. Even the tongue-in-cheek addition of Uptown Funk (a reference to their hugely successful collab with Set It Off) seemed to go over well. However it was Outsiders that really took the band from good to great, with an unforgettable melody and inspiring message that set the tone for the rest of the evening. Though the three-piece are still in the early stages of their career, it’s not hard to imagine them filling arenas of their own in the near future.

Good Charlotte entered to what can only be described as rapturous applause, proving that even six years away from the UK circuit couldn’t dim their iconic status. With a back catalogue featuring tracks like The Anthem and My Bloody Valentine, the band could easily have rested on their laurels, but new song Makeshift Love packed a punch and showed that the guys’ knack for catchy choruses was still very much intact. Despite their age and status their set was fresh and energised, with Joel’s surprise reveal “so I went on Jerry Springer and it’s true, I am Jack’s father!” showing that class clowns may grow up, but they never change.

With the guitars getting heavier and classics like The River and I Just Wanna Live picking up new fans by the second, the band’s call for a “good old fashioned 2002 pop-punk mosh pit” was finally met. Then, after stopping to credit both Against The Current and All Time Low for keeping the genre alive, Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous roared to life. Old fans screamed and new fans excitedly whispered that they “knew this one!” and all of a sudden it was over. Good Charlotte had proved that not only were they back and better than ever but, in the hearts of everyone old enough to remember, they had never really left.

Then, finally, it was All Time Low’s turn. Opening number Kids In The Dark brought the fire both literally and otherwise, while Dancing With With A Wolf proved again that Future Hearts was an album written to fill stadiums. Though there were moments of seriousness, with a poignant rendition of Missing You going out to “anyone who’s struggling with addiction, because there’s always hope” and an acoustic Therapy reducing the crowd to a sea of torches, mostly the set echoed the band itself; It was loud, a little erratic, and not afraid to have a good time.

With the only interruptions in the form of chants for Alex to take his shirt off and anecdotes about Jack’s long lost British love, eighteen songs went by in a flash. The guys rolled through hit after hit, drawing from forgotten EP’s and crowd pleasers alike with the practised ease of a band that had payed their dues. When the spontaneous rendition of The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me was over, and the triple-threat encore of Weightless, Something’s Gotta Give and Dear Maria, Count Me In brought the night to a close, it was hard to imagine how things could be better. After a decade in the business All Time Low had truly hit an all time high, and as they lapped up the applause in front of a ten-thousand strong crowd, they could not have looked more at home.