THE USED LIVE AT MANCHESTER’S ACADEMY

★★★★☆ (4/5)

THE USED PERFORMING AT MANCHESTER’S ACADEMY
PHOTOCREDIT: SABRINA RAMDOYAL

A neon pink microphone oozed through to the blue fog on the Manchester Academy stage. As the flowers of the backdrop draped in promotion to their newest album Toxic Positivity, Californians The Used projects a unspoiled blend of modern emo elements with post-hardcore vibes. For this vibrant Mancunian crowd, it’s the first evening of their UK tour to commence a celebration of their 20 year career and their viewers were more than readyto throw a party.

With the electric trio Pretty Handsome Awkward, Take It Away & The Bird and the Worm starting off the festivity, the Manchester Academy simply thrived! Looking around the space to groups of all ages recognising each note and posters at the front row showing a united party. Sound Effects and Overdramatics provided the best of their heavier material, their newest song The Worst I've Ever Been had middle fingers in the air and screeching Fuck You, all the while expressing how music saved lives for the band & their fans. Keeping the theme of spreading positivity to the bitter evening, their latest track People Are Vomit had the floor dancing and Giving Up was a beloved fan track that had hands in the air.

What made the night even more enjoyable was that there were no egos laying on the stage. Much to the quartet’s amusement and collective laughter, The Used expressed to celebrate their greatest love and let their frustrations out in forms of boos and jeers, rating which one was better. It had the “English Boo” to be favoured much of the band’s. It did not matter about how old or recent the fans were, one could not help but giggle at the participation.

I Caught Fire allowed the audience to close eyes to make memories last and as the Californian quartet were affectionately being booed back on stage, all smiles were unapologetically shared while old school classics All That I've Got and The Taste of Ink broke through the sound barrier. With the final tinkle of the cymbals leading to I'm A Fake for the collective power to recite the intro and breaking loose with Buried Myself Alive. Their final track A Box Full of Sharp Objects (with a little chorus of Smells Like Teen Spirit) ended the night in delight, further illustrating The Used sitting at the top of their game.