Courteeners – Live Review – First Direct Arena, Leeds
By Steve Crabtree, November 2024
Nothing heats up the winter better than a spot of live music. Yes, I know—a live gig is great at any time, but being wrapped up along with everyone else to see a great band in action is a different feeling.
And the First Direct Arena was the venue to be at, as the Courteeners brought their Pink Cactus Café tour to Leeds.
Known as an outstanding live act, and one I’d never seen before, the Manchester group delivered a performance that was pretty epic on a number of levels.
“Heavyweights”
In actual fact, there was a night of heavyweights on the card for this one, as the night kicked off with an acoustic set from Reverend and the Makers. Stripping back their usual sound, they offered a more intimate experience, with tracks like ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ pleasing us early attendees.
Next up were DMA’s, who ramped up the energy as more people filtered in, and they made more than their mark with fans and newbies. Songs such as ‘Delete’ and ‘Lay Down’, together with this energy they have, delivered more than a decent appetiser for the rocking good main course.
“Nicely warmed up”
By the time Courteeners took the stage, the arena was nicely warmed up and very alive. Opening with one of the new album tracks ‘Sweet Surrender,’ an evolved, nice mid-tempo number that meant we didn’t start off too thunderous, but were eased into the palm of their hand.
From then on, Liam Fray‘s presence and the band’s tight performance gave Leeds one memorable night.
The setlist was a well-balanced mix of new material from their latest album, Pink Cactus Café, and classic stuff. Tracks like ‘Sweet Surrender’ and the title track showed off a more mellow sound than their earlier days. And fan favourites such as ‘Are You in Love With a Notion?’ and ‘Acrylic’ ignited singalongs all over the arena.
“Getting absorbed”
My favourite performance of the night was ‘Modern Love’, which sounded great, especially with the acoustics in this fantastic venue. The four-song acoustic set by Liam was lovely as well—‘Smiths Disco’ standing out for me in that segment.
I certainly felt what everyone tells me about when they talk about the atmosphere of a Courteeners gig. It’s energy, it’s euphoria, and it’s about thousands of people all getting absorbed into this band who’ve been around longer than you think. I was dying for them to play ‘You Overdid It Doll’, but it’s not one they tend to put on their setlist… sadly (for me).
The encore was a memorable masterclass in pleasing your fans. ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ turned the arena into a massive choir, and closing with ‘What Took You So Long?’ the Courteeners left the stage to the adulation they deserved.
“A band at the top of their game”
I don’t know why it took me so long to see these guys live. It was an brilliant night, and I can finally relate to what everyone tells me about their show.
As the crowd spilled out into the chilly Leeds night, you just saw people on a high everywhere. We’d just seen a band at the top of their game. And we’d absolutely loved them.
Images: Michael Clement
