Less than a year ago we covered the fast-rising talents that are Lovejoy as they played on their first ever intimate UK tour to a sold-out show in Sheffield, and we’re pleased to say that these lads are still very much on the rise and are currently storming through the UK on a massive sold-out UK tour where we managed to catch them in Manchester for a very special night. The band consists of members Mark Boardman, Joe Goldsmith, Ash Kabosu and front runner Wilbur Soot and since forming in 2021 they have created massive waves in the UK music scene. Lovejoy are backed by one of the most adoring and hardcore fanbases in recent years, this fanbase and their incredible musical talents is carrying their career to new levels with bigger shows and bigger festivals being announced for the band almost monthly. The indie-pop foursome have such a strong sound together and it’s so great to see a ‘guitar’ band, so to speak, absolutely smashing it in the UK. This show in Manchester down at the Manchester O2 Ritz was just across the road from the Gorilla venue that Lovejoy performed at last year for Manchester’s Neighbourhood festival, on this one-day festival the demand and anticipation for fans to see the show led to festival organisers having to put on two Lovejoy shows in one day! It was absolutely unreal to see and was a feat that I had never seen before, but after catching their live shows it’s easy to see why. Today the boys play their biggest ever show in Manchester to a packed-out O2 Ritz that had fans queuing well into the Manchester streets from the break of dawn that day. Support for the night came from Coco + The Lost and fellow content creator / musician James Marriott. James Marriott essentially made this show a double headliner as he stole the show in spectacular fashion, I highly believe he will be headlining venues like the Manchester O2 Ritz on his own in less than a years’ time.
Setlist–
You’ll Understand When You’re Older
Taunt
Perfume
Consequences
Sex Sells
It’s All Futile! It’s All Pointless!
One Day
Cause for Concern
The Fall
Call Me What You Like
Model Buses (with James Marriott)
Concrete
LOVEJOY
JAMES MARRIOTT
Photos + Review by Lewis Roberts | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!
