Balancing Act played what frontman Kai Roberts deemed their “best show yet” last night (14th April) at Gorilla in Manchester, and the scenes did not disappoint. With emotional moments and a chaotic crowd, there wasn’t a dull moment for the entire show, support bands included, and it was clear from the start that this was a show worth being at.
The night kicked off with the first support, StereoCupid, emerging originally from Manchester, and they came out all guns blazing to kick off a night of strong music. Their heavy rock sound brought an energy to the venue that got the crowd up and ready, with their stage presence not going unnoticed. Frontman Ralph McCarthy Schofield brought his raw vocals to each song in their set and boosted the crowd’s attention, whilst the guitar gave a sense of urgency to their performance, giving it their all. With their bold setlist, including a cover of Rihanna’s ‘Shut Up And Drive’, the five-piece made themselves known and made sure they started the evening the right way.
Next to take the stage was Maiden Races, who lowered the tempo and took a completely different approach to support. Their set, although still guitar-heavy, differed in the vibe they brought to the venue. With strong vocals and meaningful lyricism, the emerging band definitely gave the crowd something to look out for. It felt more intimate and hook-driven rather than upbeat and bouncy, which was nice for a transition into the headline set.
The time rolled around for the headline to take the stage and perform what was about to be a 10/10 set. Opening on ‘Sunshine’, the first single off part two of their debut album ‘Who’ve You Come As’, the band and the crowd alike were up and raring to go. The venue was packed, bustling, and no time was wasted. With Roberts on vocals, Jackson Couzens’ on guitar, Pat Hanbury on drums, and David Carpenter on bass, it was clear to see how locked in they were from the get-go.
Whilst surrounding the release of their new album, they didn’t miss out on their older tracks. ‘Little More Time’ appeared on their setlist, gaining them a lot of love from the audience. Their love for the not-so-recent tracks was obvious, and the joy was shared between themselves and the fans. Not only was there the upbeat music, Balancing Act sound that listeners of the band know and love, but the night also included stripped-back emotional moments. Roberts himself got in the crowd for the slowed-down vibe of ‘Wrapped Around Embroidery’, creating an intimate and cool moment between the fans and himself, which perfectly broke up the slowed tempo tunes and dance around fast-paced tracks. The band jumped straight back in with ‘Laylow’ after this, bringing back that deserved and reciprocated high energy that they started out with.
After tracks from the first part of their debut album, including ‘Talks A Lot’ and ‘The Breaks’, the crowd really comes together for a standout moment when they burst into ‘She Plays The Theremin’. With such high intensity and everybody buzzing, there was so much love in the room. Fans on shoulders, screaming, even a small pit, it really was the moment you could see the band in such high spirits and realise how many people love their music.
Sadly, it came to the part where the band and crowd had to go their separate ways - the last song. They closed on ‘All Yours’ and not a single ounce of energy from the atmosphere was lost. The lyrics were screamed right back at the band, everyone had a smile on their face, and it closed what can only be described as an incredible Manchester gig. With five shows left on the UK leg and four shows across Europe remaining, it leaves us fans wondering what they could possibly cook up next.
Neve Pomfrey
Images: Liam Vaughan
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