Fresh off a sell-out EU tour and with experience supporting Louis Tomlinson and Lewis Capaldi on packed arena dates under their belts, it’s hard to imagine that Only The Poets have been anything but a refined, polished, and revered band. Gifting Manchester with a show reminiscent of their earlier days, The Deaf Institute was the perfect setting for the band’s latest tour date.
Joined by two support acts, duo Everything We Do and Bow Anderson, the show was kickstarted with resolute vulnerability and commendable frankness, with songs covering topics from body image to overcoming romantic challenges. Only The Poets did a callout for support acts prior to this tour, acutely aware of the importance of emerging artists playing live as a means of building a fanbase from the ground up. The reputation of The Deaf Institute as the stopping-off point for so many up-and-coming musicians feels very apt for the band’s most recent trip up North. The building’s heritage and location just a stone’s throw away from two of Manchester’s universities is a clear indication that determination and a dream will stand you in good stead.
The band’s set opened with ‘Crash’, a lively and rousing track about battling with your own emotions. Whilst the crowd may have been enchanted by the vulnerability and openness of both support acts, the band got the room moving with little effort. As frontman Tommy Longhurst later said, “Who’s ready to have a f*cking party?” Continuing with immense energy, ‘Stolen Bikes’ and ‘Nana’s House’ fed the hungry crowd, already animated from the band’s infectious presence. Despite being a four-piece and in such an intimate venue, their charisma is evidently transferrable to venues double, triple, or even ten times the size of Deaf Institute’s Music Hall.
Pulsing with an electrifying energy, ‘Speak Out’ and ‘Forget Your Name’ kept the crowd going. Both are easily anthems for anyone who’s been messed around, this anger reflected in the responsive chants of Speak Out’s lyrics “You try to knock me down. When you can’t get your way.” During what had been a fulfilling and well-rounded set, the band provided some time for reflection, with their most raw track ‘Walking in the Dark’. Reminding the crowd of the importance of mental health awareness, Tommy emphasised that “you are never ever alone.” His calls of “We are with you” can only be interpreted as the community the band has built.
The next song of the night was ‘Looking At You’, a track which was first released on their 2019 demos EP. In homage to their roots as a band, the group marked the re-release of this single by performing the track at a student house party in Reading. It’s easy to imagine that a band which has had such stagnant growth would forget about the journey they’d been on as a band, but for Only The Poets, everything circles back to the fans.
The Manchester date of this tour was the fastest selling: testament to the band’s loyal fanbase and Manchester’s reputation as a city which is determined to support the freshest artists. 50% of tickets for each tour date were only available in independent record stores, the one selected for Manchester being Clampdown Records in the Northern Quarter.
On a tour, it’s too commonplace not to bring out the back catalogue. With ‘Ceasefire’, the band’s first released single, it was surprising that so many of the crowd continued their faithful accompaniment to every lyric. Phone torch lights can sometimes feel a tad unnecessary but in this case were a welcome confirmation of the band’s strong bond with their fans. For Tommy, “it always looks so beautiful.” ‘Jump’ quickly re-established the euphoric atmosphere, a call to when you need to follow your heart and not your head. The song could speak to the fraught competition in the creative industries, no doubt an experience the band can relate to themselves. What’s the fun in being sensible and realistic?
Before finishing up with ‘Emotional’, the band reminded a hushed crowd of their gratitude to the fans in the room, as they are who “let us wake up and do this every day.” You’d expect a lull at this point in the night, but the crowd was unhesitating in their eagerness to keep the party going. As the final chords were strummed, there was an undeniable disappointment that their performance was over. Hesitating as to whether an overly familiar “fake” encore was or was not part of their set, the crowd reluctantly left, buzzing from the joyous vitality the band brought. Don’t underestimate the power of the fans. For Only The Poets, it is expressly obvious that this is a fan-first band. Live music at its heart is built on connection and this band know that too well.
