Don Broco
12.13.23 Manchester, UK
Victoria Warehouse
Rianna R. Insomnia Photographer
Band Overview
Don Broco returned to the stage for the final leg of their ‘Amazing Things’ album tour, this time promoting latest single ‘Birthday Party’. Victoria Warehouse in Manchester was fortunate enough to host one of the dates of these shows, along with some other towns and cities not usually visited, such as Cambridge and Leicester. The crowd seemed to be almost at capacity even before the first support took to the stage, and chants were already being thrown around throughout the audience.
Starting with support from Ocean Grove, the room almost instantly lit up with the sounds of this band giving it their all, preparing those watching for the energy that would gradually build up over the next couple of hours. The three-piece, who had travelled all the way from Australia, were a surprise to see perform, having never listened to them before.
Next up were Trash Boat which are a band I have had on my list to see for an absurd amount of time. They certainly did not disappoint, and I spent majority of their set wondering why I hadn’t caught them at last year’s Slam Dunk Festival. Frontman Tobi knew how to capture the crowd’s attention, involving them in group chants and warming them up for the main event.
It was finally the moment we were all waiting for as Don Broco stormed onto the stage immediately getting into one of their newer tracks ‘Gumshield’. Frontman Rob Damiani came out wearing a neck brace, somehow rocking it with the help of a pair of sunglasses from a fan. He later explained that doctorshad advised him not to continue this tour, but he refused to cancel any of the shows.
Alongside some of the newer tracks from their latest album, as well as ‘Birthday Party’, we were treated to some earlier songs from their 10-year-old album, ‘Priorities’. The crowd went wild for ‘Fancy Dress’, and an almost country-like acoustic version of ‘Yeah Man’. Crowd-surfers were almost constant throughout the night and the atmosphere in the middle of the venue was perhaps one of the best I have experienced post-lockdown, it felt like a community of music-lovers all there to enjoy themselves.
The energy was maintained until the end of the concert, where fans are encouraged to take their tops off for the chorus of ‘T-Shirt Song’. It is a sight like no other as the entire room is a view of swinging t-shirts.
Overall, the performance this band give to it’s fans is overwhelming and like nothing I have seen before, and each tour they continue to surprise me in the best way. They always offer an incredible show!