Headlining
their first festival, bagging a top 40 single and playing main stage at Reading and Leeds, Don Broco’s 2013 hasn’t been half bad. The Bedford four-piece is
currently storming the UK on another headline tour and, with all dates near sell-outs,
it’s the perfect pre-Christmas treat before the guys take time away to work on
album number two.
Last time the
Bedford four-piece were in Leeds they were storming the main stage at the
festival so we were excited to see what their live headline show had to offer.
Click below to read our live review and to view all the photos from the show…
It’s the first night of the tour and already a sell-out before the doors open, meaning that Don Broco is off to a good start and, judging by their performances throughout the year, things are only set to get better. It is an early show, but the main room at Leeds Met is fit to burst and unbearably hot even before the quartet takes to the stage. And one thing is certain, it’s going to get hotter; you can’t go to a Broco show and not get involved. With the crowd more than raring to go the evening kicks off unexpectedly with new single ‘You Wanna Know’. The usual first song, ‘Priorities’, accompanied with the infamous ‘Broco Walk’, is replaced with the 80s style synth opening of the hit single. A worthy replacement, it is catchy as hell and the entire crowd is a sea of movement.
The rest of the gig is a relentless
barrage of energy with the crowd feeding off the non-stop pace on-stage.
Drummer and backing vocalist Matt Donnelly unfortunately lost his voice the day
of the show and the band had to rope in friend Roo at the very last minute.
This meant vocally it wasn’t quite as slick a performance as we’re used to from
the Bedford boys, however not noticeable enough to detract from the storming
live show that they put on. It may have been the first night of the tour, but
the four-piece throws itself into it and the energy is infectious. A great mix
of old and new, Don Broco has
definitely stepped up their live show, making their set even more eclectic by
adding in some never before played live treats. Album favourite ‘Back to
School’ is debuted alongside older Broco classics
such as ‘Dreamboy’ and the euphoric ‘Beautiful Morning’. The now famous ‘Don
Broco Push-Up Squad’ is out in force during ‘Thug Workout’, and the majority of
The Met turns into a ferocious pit-meets-wall-of-death. With chants of
“Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire” the crowd puts its stamp of approval on the
show and bring the boys back to the stage for a triumphant encore. ‘Hold On’ is
given a Broco make-over, or should we
say make-under, as they mellow things out a little with a slower version before
it kicks into full throttle. Confidence in abundance, they are the lads’ lads
and the girls’ boys; with mass appeal it’s not hard to see why tonight is a
sell-out.
Anthem after anthem, Don Broco certainly has a skill for harnessing
a huge hook and catchy chorus. ‘Priorities’ may not have opened the show in its
usual position, but it certainly closed it out in style, complete with ‘Broco
Walk’. The crowd goes wild; people gather on each others shoulders and wield
their t-shirts around their heads. It would be safe to say that Broco is on top form tonight; riding a wave
of success and deservedly so. Anticipation is high for the next album. A great
start to the tour and the perfect show to get people in good spirits, so be
sure to get your Broco-shaped festive treat before tour tickets sell out. 9/10
Photo credit: Danny Peart Photography.
For more live and backstage shots-
