The Maccabees, Victoria Warehouse. 21st August 2025

Tonight feels like a long time coming. It’s my first time in a room with The Maccabees and honestly until this reunion was announced, I thought I’d missed my chance. It’s not that I wasn’t smitten with them first time around, just that I’d not found opportunity to see them live. So it’s with a slight spring in my step that I enter Victoria Warehouse. This venue is still hit or miss for me, it often teeters on the edge with its capacity and it feels a tad uncomfortable and bloody hot, even before the band take the stage. I’m not in early enough to catch the support from Sorry, perhaps this sold out crowd has already been jumping around, driving up the temperature. It’s not going to cool down with songs like ‘Latchmere’, probably the best ever sing about municipal swimming pools. This is what this band do best, quirky and deceptively intelligent indie bangers. It’s a glorious intro with the crowd covering the “woo’s”, before the brooding indie powerhouse ‘Lego’ takes over in an explosion of flame red strobes. “Manchester, guess what… we’re the Maccabees!!” shouts Felix and the roar back is deafening. This is a celebration as much as a warm up for All Points East this weekend and ‘X-Ray’ kicks off the full crowd jumping, to hell with the blistering heat. ‘Feel to Follow’ strikes a slower somber tone, that does momentarily tempe things, but this is right in my wheel house as it builds to a pulsating monster everyone seems a bit stunned. “Wow” declares the girl behind me. Indeed! I didn’t realise how songs like ‘Kamakura’ this would sound so powerful live and ‘William Powers’ really comes alive. It’s got everything from the brooding rolling bass, the breaks to let the crowd join in and the explosive drums that detonate and bring Victoria Warehouse to its knnes. Want more? How about a finale good enough to close the entire set!! We’re only just getting started. They sound wonderful of course, Orlando’s angelic vocals blend beautifully with the intricate power of the band. Felix though is the hype man. Pumping everyone up for ‘Love You Better’, boy does it work. I may have already sweated half my body weight, at this point, but it’s worth it. If I pass out, I’m happy with my choices. ‘First Love’ is the first (and only) song that doesn’t deliver that immediate joy. Simply because I don’t know it as well as their rest. I don’t think it would fill a dance-floor, but live… Oh my god, it’s massive. These are the best moments at a gig, when you’re caught out and utterly floored. Everyone knows it better than me and sing it flawlessly, the atmosphere really is pretty incredible. They roll straight into ‘Precious Time’ for another mass singalong. I’m stunned frankly. I never dreamt they’d be this good live, but these songs are built for this. The front half of the room is a sea of bodies and limbs melting together. I’m not sure about the back of the room. I’m not sure where it is. Felix is at it again getting everyone to jump on ‘Can You Give It’ which interestingly generatesa lovely draft. Then the mirrorball comes to life on ‘Spit it Out’. The tempo doesn’t drop, but it’s more muted, which is just as well, we need a breather. It stills packs a punch but with the edges rounded off, it’s more of a stand and watch in awe moment. The soft lamenting ‘Silence’ marks a sort of midset interlude. The mirrorball laziily cascading light across the room as people wave their hands in unison. It’s time to start the climb now and what better way than my favourite. ‘No Kind Words’ is the darkest they go and it’s utterly marvellous. I’d pay for the ticket just to hear this on repeat. In an instant the sweat on my back turns to ice and my hopes are met effortlessly as thousands of voices sing and the lights detonate. I’ve been to hundreds of gigs, heard tons of my favourite songs. This one and this moment will stay with me forever. It takes me a moment to pick myself back up again, but Felix wants some help again. “We’ve not tried this before” he says introducing ‘Marks to Prove It’. He wants us to scream. No problem Felix, Manchester’s got you. Orlando then encourages us to join him on ‘Something Like Happiness’ with added brass. This crowd interaction never seemed like his thing really. I’ve seen him solo and he’s lovably awkward and it makes you want to do whatever he says. He’s got us in the palm of his hand and fuck me can he sing. It sounds like we’re in church and he looks visibly moved as they say their pretend goodbyes. The songs chorus continues with the crowd singing to an empty stage, ushering them back, but instead of dying down and awaiting the next song, the band gets swept back up in it. Fucking beautiful stuff. We do get to the playful ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ though. Its jaunty tenderness is bloody good fun and ‘Grew Up at Midnight’ takes us back up through the gears, before ‘Pelican’ takes to the skies. The roof, walls, everything melts away. If you’re looking for a definition of joy, this is it. Expectations for tonight were unreasonably high. Often in these situations I’m pleasantly surprised, occasionally underwhelmed, but tonight I was blown away. I’m just sorry it took me so long to witness The Maccabees live, and I’m eternally thankful they’re back!