The Courteeners boldly took on the task of playing a massive Manchester Evening News Arena concert tonight with unworldly results. Their homecoming gig marked a triumphant end of their tour. The sheer scale of the concert was an ambitious one which proved as a band they had turned a massive corner with sways of crowds turning out celebrating to a rampant set.
After esteemed bands supporting with the likes of Miles Kane and I Am Kloot The Courtneers played an extensive set with euphoric adulation. The band consisting of the remarkable power of Liam Fray, Michael Campbell, Daniel Conan Moores and Mark Cuppello marked a significant performance rattling through 'The Opener' a bold as brass song making the crowd stark raving mad before the gig had hardly begun. An unreal song marking LA and the glamours that await but clearly their heart is here to stay’.
Studying creative writing in a city that they live proved that their time was well spent blasting out further classics yes classics such as 'Cavorting' and 'Please Don't' was just the start.
Frey gave the nod to his bands fore bearers Oasis, The Stone Roses and The Smiths before grinding into ‘Sycophant’, from their second album ‘Falcon’.
Throughout the 21 song set gig the Manchester crowd crowned their new champions and at one point Frey had the balls to ravage through the crowd to play a short set on his own behind the sound stage a mini gig in its own Frey playing 'No You Didn't, No You Don't' and 'How Come?.
Finally as the new manc hero battled back through the crowd with obsessed fanatics pouring beer over the messiahs head managed to make it back on stage to join his band makes to polish off the set with 'You Overdid It Doll', 'Not Nineteen Forever' and 'What Took You So Long'. The crowd literally bouncing around in joyous applause the band had made it.
More important is the actual stage presence of Frey just getting on with it and banging out classics!
The Set list was as follows:
‘The Opener'
'Will It Be This Way Forever?'
'Acrylic'
'Cavorting'
'Good Times Are Calling'
'Cross My Heart & Hope To Fly'
'Lullaby'
'Please Don't'
'Scratch Your Name Upon My Lips'
'Sycophant'
'Bide Your Time'
'Take Over The World'
'That Kiss'
'Cameo Brooche'
'Fallowfield Hillbilly'
'How Come'
'No You Didn't, No You Don't'
'The Rest Of The World Has Gone Home'
'You Overdid It Doll'
'Not Nineteen Forever'
'What Took You So Long?’
Frey also hinted at the announcement of a Delamere Forest gig in July 2011.
