The Amazons at Manchester Albert Hall
Manchester Albert Hall, Manchester, UK | October 25th, 2025
Written by Paula Kowalska
It’s been seven years since The Amazons graced the stage at Albert Hall in 2018 as part of their debut album tour. Now on their fourth record, ‘21st Century Fiction’, it is clear that they are here to stay and better than ever. The stunning venue with its stained glass windows and grand balcony are the perfect setting for the larger than life sound filled with haunting vocals and powerful guitar riffs. Blending the Rock and Alternative Country influences within the record, The Amazons are only developing and maturing in the sound that earned them their initial acclaim.
The night included openers Balancing Act, who have just released the first part of their debut album ‘Who’ve you come as?’, with frontman Kai entrancing the audience with his commanding stage presence and the band's Tim Burton-inspired aesthetic and sound. They were followed by Birmingham quartet Overpass, who have steadily cemented themselves in the scene over the past year with two EPs (From the Night and Dependent) under their belt and a loyal fanbase, which is well deserved given their strong stage presence and cohesive sound. Both bands were an incredible addition to the lineup in the lead-up to the main event.
The climactic crescendo of ‘Joe Bought a Gun’ as the set opener is a beautiful setup for a jam-packed set that will keep the crowd rowdy for the almost two-hour set that follows with twenty full-length tracks. It doesn’t take long before the room is singing along and the crowd is moshing in their Amazons merch and encouraging the band and their stellar performance.
With the addition of Ella McRobb on vocals and keys, it feels like the final piece for this more confident and polished version of the band, elevating the leadman’s vocals to another level. Matt’s vocals are undeniably underrated within the music scene, a stunning development over the years that is clear, especially within the powerful performance of the album closer ‘Go All The Way’. It is a wonder how they’re not yet selling out arena shows, though the intimate setting of a venue such as this only added to the cinematic storytelling of the new era for the band. Particular standouts live include the album opener ‘Living A Lie’, which is the perfect meld of Ella’s and Matt’s vocals with intense drums, as well as ‘Wake Me Up’ with its heavy guitar riffs that made for the perfect set finisher before the band returned for their encore. Starting with fan favourite ‘Junk Food Forever’, the crowd sang along with a lone Matt on stage, a heartwarming moment between those who have been there from the start supporting the band at their debut, and knew every word. The band joined Matt for the remaining songs, including the impeccable, almost 7-minute version of the unmistakably iconic ‘Black Magic’ that had the room bouncing like no time had passed.
Whatever The Amazons do next, there is one thing for certain, and that is that their developing confidence and ever-evolving sound will continue to captivate their fanbase and audience, whether in small intimate halls or large arenas.
