"Boston Manor put on a punk performance full of energy, charisma, and power. They have so much energy during their live sets that it can't help but cause chaos in the crowd, each one of their shows making it feel as though you are part of something special."
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Must See
Review by Bruna Cucolo
Boston Manor, the Pure Noise Records band from Blackpool, England, set out on their headlining North America tour in late November. They are joined by bands Selfish Things, Heart Attack Man, and Microwave. The pop punk tour made its way to Portland, OR on December 7. This was their first headlining show in this city.
Selfish Things was the first opener, and they for sure knew how to open their set. Once onstage, they immediately asked the crowd loudly “what’s up,” in a manner that both woke you up and let you know it was showtime. Heads were already bopping to the first song, the crowd was very into it. Almost every band played an acoustic song on the tour, and while Selfish Things did, it was with a piano instead of a guitar. It was different, but the performance still really drew you in. The second opener, Heart Attack Man, also went onstage in a rambunctious-like way and the crowd loved it. During the band’s set, moshing and crowdsurfing began and it never stopped. They really warmed up the crowd even more for the last two bands to come. Lastly, Microwave was up and they had a longer opening set than the previous two acts. They went on and before even saying anything, they immediately began to play their first song. Moshing began right along with it, and crowdsurfing took place once again. This made one wonder, “if the audience is acting this way now, how will they be when the headliner goes on?” Then it was time to find out.
There was some intro music that put you on edge, awaiting for what’s to come, and then suddenly Boston Manor emerged onto the stage. Frontman Henry Cox began the set with his loud and charismatic energy, clearly ready to give this performance his all. The whole audience was already cheering for the band as they played their favorite songs and were fully engaged. There was a lot of moshing and crowdsurfing during the headliner’s set as well. If there was no moshing, there was crowdsurfing, and vice versa. Even a few circle pits took place. One could say that the crowd was a tad rowdy, but with this band’s energy, how could a crowd not lose their minds and let out their own energy?
Boston Manor’s set was made up of 14 total songs. “England’s Dreaming,” “Flowers In Your Dustbin,” “Digital Ghost,” and “Laika” are just some of the songs they performed that night in Portland. They did not do a headlining tour through Portland in support of their last album, Welcome to the Neighbourhood, so this was their opportunity to perform more than just a few of the songs off that record. There was no guessing that the crowd had an incredible time though. With no barricade in front of the stage, crowd surfers ended up on stage and had to stage dive, and a couple fans took that opportunity to sing into the microphone a few of their favorite Boston Manor lyrics.
Boston Manor put on a punk performance full of energy, charisma, and power. They have so much energy during their live sets that it can’t help but cause chaos in the crowd, each one of their shows making it feel as though you are part of something special.
