Set It Off Tear the Roof Off O2 Ritz, Manchester, UK – 6th February 2025

Set It Off’s EU/UK Tour finally hits Manchester, with a sell-out crowd packing out the o2 Ritz.

We sadly missed TSS – as I assume a lot of people did, given the huge queue that stretched far away from the venue’s doors – so first up for us are the electro-rock Call Me Amour.

Despite being relative novices and having only a handful of single releases, they play with the confidence of a band that belongs in big venues like this. Having already supported the likes of You Me At Six and Against The Current, they treat this short set like a headline act and reap the rewards with a responsive crowd. The sweeping cinematic qualities of tracks like “Good Day” show why they are an easy fit for tonight’s show, and frontman Harry Radford conducts the crowd with ease, even joining us down on the floor for set closer “Bloom”. It was a performance that easily won over some new fans, many of whom I expect will return to watch them on their soon-to-be-announced headline tour later this year.

Next up are Point North. The Los Angeles trio (Jon Lyndon – vocals, Andy Hershey – guitar, Sage Weeber – drums) are another great fit for this lineup, with an energetic set. “WORLD vs PEACE” and “Into The Dark” are the perfect introduction to a band who transcend many genres, from pop-punk, rap-rock and even elements of metalcore, when they venture into heavier territory on “Bring Me Down”. The highlight of the set was the live debut of “Below The Belt”, a collaboration with tonight’s headliners, which saw Cody Carson join them on stage to huge cheers from the audience.

As the PA announced “one minute until showtime” the crowd burst into chants of “Set It Off! Set It Off” anticipation in the room has already reached fever pitch before they even arrived. Opening with latest single “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” (Reborn), Cody Carson immediately has everyone in the palm of his hands. Zach DeWall’s (guitar) and Maxx Danziger’s (drums) stage presence is immense, with Cody able to conduct the crowd to sway their arms and open up mosh pits all night long.

“Fake Ass Friends” and “The Haunting” keep this fast-paced start going, and it’s clear how invested the fans are as every word is sung and chanted back at them in full voice. Frequently thanking the fans between songs, and reminiscing about playing much smaller venues in the past, it’s clear Set It Off’s popularity has hit new heights and will only continue to grow.

The intensity never stops as they charge through “Monsters” and “Kill The Lights”, with Cody instructing us to sing the opening lines to “Hypnotized” on our own. He swaps places with Maxx for “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”, with both seamlessly performing each other’s usual role. If the screams between each song weren’t already a giveaway, the makeup of the crowd has a high percentage of women, and the muscle-stacked shirtless Maxx was certainly popular!

The punchy “Parasite” and “Win”, “Win” takes us towards the end of the night, and the heat the energy in the room has created is almost getting unbearable, but there’s no chance anyone is leaving early tonight.

The Ritz is by far my favourite venue in Manchester, its high stage offers a great view, and the legendary dancefloor reverberates your body, letting you feel every bit of the music, absolutely perfect for gigs like this. As “Punching Bag” brings the night to a close, an exhausted crowd leaves with smiles on their faces, with the cold air outside a welcome relief.

The whole evening was a triumph and a showcase of an evolving modern pop-punk scene that blew the roof off!

SET LIST

1/ Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing (Reborn)

2/ Fake Ass Friends

3/ The Haunting

4/ Evil People

5/ Creating Monsters

6/ Kill The Lights

7/ Lonely Dance

8/ Hypnotized

9/ I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead

11/ Parasite

12/ N.M.E

13/ Win Win

14/ Killer In The Mirror

15/ Why Worry

16/ Punching Bag