VUKOVI

There are some gigs where you can tell from the first few minutes that the night is going to be a bit special. VUKOVI’s one-off show at Manchester’s O2 Ritz was definitely one of those nights, with the band playing MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN in full for the first time as a special album playthrough. Before we got there though, there were two acts ready to get the room moving.

Opening the night was SOAPBOX, an extremely enthusiastic, energetic and, at times, chaotic act. It didn’t even take until the end of the first song for him to be jumping from the stage onto the barrier, bringing the kind of energy he’s quickly becoming known for. From the moment he stepped out, there was no standing still, and the crowd seemed more than happy to match it.

Next up were ALT BLK ERA, the sister duo bringing their own mix of alt-rock energy to the Ritz. Their setlist had a bit of everything, opening with Our World before moving through My Drummers girlfriend, Come Fight Me For It and Hunt You Down. Upstairs neighbours kept things moving, before Come On Outside and I’m Normally Like This pushed the energy even further.

There was a proper singalong moment during My drummers girlfriend, with the crowd joining in, and by the time they reached Run Rabbit things had really kicked off. They finished up leaving the room suitably warmed up for what was coming next. It was a short but seriously energetic set, and the two of them spent most of it jumping around and feeding off the crowd. You could tell they weren’t just there to fill the support slot. They were making the most of every minute they had on that stage. By the time they finished, there wasn’t much doubt that Manchester was ready for VUKOVI.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.

VUKOVI walked onto the stage and launched straight into THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY TRAUMA, kicking off MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN playthrough with exactly the kind of intensity you’d expect. The room was instantly bouncing, with the band giving everything from the first note.

GUNGHO followed, complete with champagne being sprayed into the crowd, before MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN saw Joel join the band on stage who absolutely nailed it. FALLEN BEYOND kept things moving, with people up on shoulders, clapping along and generally making as much noise as possible.

As the album continued through FUC KIT UP, MISTY ECSTASY & SNO, the crowd only seemed to get more involved, with the first crowd surfers finally making their way over the barrier. By the time COWBOY, PEEL & KITTY came around, the entire room was screaming the words back at the band, clapping and throwing themselves around wherever there was space.

It was hard not to notice just how much this album clearly meant to the people in the room.

Then came BLADED.

If there was one moment during the album playthrough that completely blew the roof off the Ritz, this was it. The cheers were huge, the pit was the liveliest it had been all night and the reaction from the crowd was immediate. You could argue they saved one of the best moments for last, finishing the album section with an absolute banger.

But the night wasn’t over.

LASSO was next, and as one of my favourite VUKOVI songs, this was a particularly good moment for me. The reception was absolutely massive, with the mosh pits going completely wild and the band matching the crowd’s energy every step of the way.

C.L.A.U.D.I.A kept that momentum going, somehow turning the room into one giant dance pit. People were moving from front to back and side to side, with barely anyone standing still.

Then came MERCY KILL, SLO & I EXIST took things to another level entirely. This was probably the wildest the crowd had been all night. A sea of crowd surfers made their way towards the front while the lead singer greeted almost every one of them. At one point she even took a phone from the crowd and used it to record the whole band from the stage.

And then, just like that, it was time for LA DI DA

For the final song of the night, the band let the crowd take over the opening, and hearing the entire Ritz singing back was one hell of a way to finish.

From the first jump of the night to the last crowd surfer, this was exactly what a special one-off show should feel like. The MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN playthrough gave fans the chance to hear an album that clearly means a lot to them in a completely different way, while the second half of the set turned the Ritz into absolute chaos.

Manchester certainly knew how to give VUKOVI the reception they deserved.