LIVE FROM THE PIT: Boston Manor, Trophy Eyes and Split Chain

Established in Blackpool, Boston Manor’s transition from pop punk to alternative rock has been a delight to watch, with their willingness to adapt in an ever-changing music landscape ensuring that every upcoming tour brings a unique experience. This is best exemplified by their latest release, ‘Sundiver,’ that has been placed firmly at the centre of their ongoing UK run as a result of its success. Boston Manor have found themselves playing some of their biggest headline shows to date alongside their compelling supports, Trophy Eyes and Split Chain. Both acts appeal to fans of the headliner due to their fierce interpretations of punk rock and dreamo. Trophy Eyes are reminiscent of the quintet's earlier work, whereas Split Chain draws inspiration from their more recent releases. Together, the involvement of both bands makes for a compelling lineup that is sure to satisfy fans of each of the headliner’s unique eras.

Illuminated in fluorescent red, the night began as Split Chain took to the stage. They immediately called upon the crowd to open a mosh pit as the opening riffs of their set reverberated throughout the O2 Ritz. While several concertgoers swiftly answered their call to action, the vast majority of the crowd had been entranced by Split Chains intriguing blend of shoegaze, grunge, and nu metal. This came not only as a result of their creative songwriting but also their remarkable live mix. Thanks to the venue's bassy sound system, their riffs felt extra punchy, allowing the five piece to create the massive soundscapes that were largely responsible for enthralling the crowd. Despite this, Split Chain still managed to generate enough movement to warm up the masses, as they included songs of an appropriate BPM to bounce too and even managed to tempt a number of crowd surfers over the barrier, something that few opening bands are capable of.

Up next were Trophy Eyes, who were immediately met with thunderous applause upon making their way to the stage. It's not surprising that Boston Manor and Trophy Eyes share a number of fans, considering that pop punk was the genre in which they launched their careers. It wasn’t long before the stage began to glow blue, and fans started launching their pints into the air while passionately chanting the lyrics to their latest single, ‘Enmore.’ Thanks to a well-crafted setlist, the mosh pits continued to swirl, but those closer to the back of the venue, a number of fans were transfixed on the stage, most likely due to their impressive musicianship. Their drummer, Blake Caruso, didn’t miss a beat, managing to play several complicated fills with precision. From start to finish, Trophy Eyes had complete command over the audience, with nearly the entire venue clapping in time with the beat.

Following a final interlude, it was time for the evening's headliner to make their way to the stage. Appropriately, Boston Manor opened their set with ‘Datura (Dawn),’ the same song that opens their most recent record, "Sundiver." Before long, vocalist Henry Cox had been enveloped in a haze of yellow and orange light. One of several instances in which the show's live visuals aligned with the song's title. Following this genuinely intimate and captivating introduction, the rest of the band jumped into gear for their next song, 'Container.' In the opening moments of their show, Boston Manor had the crowd hanging on their every word, and there was a palpable sense of excitement for what was still to come.

After opening the live show with two tracks from Sundiver, Boston Manor made sure to include a number of hit songs from their previous releases. ‘England’s Dreaming’ seemed to go down particularly well with members of the crowd screaming back the lyrics ‘bury me’ at every given opportunity. Once the five piece had paid homage to a few of the tracks that were responsible for their success, Cox announced that they were going to play the heaviest song that they had ever written, ‘Sliding Doors.’ Henry quickly demonstrated that he could scream just as well as he can sing, quickly leading to one of the largest mosh pits of the night.

Around the midpoint of their set, the opening riffs to ‘liquid’ began to bounce around the walls of the Ritz. Much to the delight of fans, John Floreani of ‘Trophy Eyes’ joined Boston Manor on stage to perform his feature live. Witnessing this collaboration live seemed to be everyone's favourite moment of the show, with Boston Manor once again demonstrating their ability to align the show's visuals with their setlist. The decision to shroud the stage in blue felt fitting given how the song features lyrics about falling out to sea. 

After playing crowd-pleasers new and old, Boston Manor concluded their set with arguably their best-known song, Foxglove. From the first note to the last, the crowd didn’t miss a beat, belting out every word in time with Blackpool’s rising stars. Henry Cox informed the crowd that this would be their final chance to get involved, and he certainly wasn’t disappointed. Interestingly, Boston Manor chose not to include an encore, which is strange given that they have almost become an industry standard. However, this can be viewed as one final demonstration of their willingness to evolve, and it made the final moments of their show feel all the more authentic.

Words: Josh Bicknell

Photos: Leah Cox