DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL // MANCHESTER ACADEMY, MANCHESTER
10 years on since their last Manchester show, Dashboard Confessional return to Manchester Academy for an intimate show.
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL AT THE MANCHESTER ACADEMY - 15.11.18
PICTURE BY KIRSTY FOX
★★★★★
The last time that Dashboard Confessional played in the UK, It was 2008, and as an extremely broke student, I spent most of my money on 9p noodles and the occasional adult beverage, so couldn’t afford the fifteen or so pounds for a ticket to go and see them. Little did I know that the next time they’d be in my city would be so far away.
A polished, slick band at the vanguard of emo/indie, Dashboard’s songs often popped up to underscore emotional moments in TV and film throughout the early 2000s, not to mention providing the soundtrack to the angsty teenage years of many a millennial. Much of this appeal stems from frontman Chris Carrabba, undoubtedly the heart of the band, underlined by this gig starting with just Chris taking to the stage with an acoustic guitar, playing through raw unplugged versions of the first few songs of the set.
With only a handful of songs from the latest album being played, the crowd were happy to sing along with every word of all the hits, reciting back the most heartfelt lines. During the second round of solo acoustic songs however, we were treated to a brand new song that had been written during this tour, so new that a crew member helpfully brought out a set of printouts of the lyrics for Carrabba to crib from.
The rest of the set continued with a blend of hits from across the band’s discography, building to the crescendo of a one song encore of the ode to new love ‘Hands Down’. For a band whose catalogue is filled with the kind of bittersweet sadness that inspired a million MSN status messages, the set was structured to leave everyone on a high, smiling as the house lights came up.
