Live Review : Highly Suspect + The Picturebooks @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on September 16th 2023

Well, I’m going to cut to the chase… the highlight of the night happens within the first hour. The Picturebooks, tonight’s support act are outstanding. I suspect the sizeable crowd that have already gathered at the earlier than normal time of 7pm, have anticipated this too. This dynamic duo from Germany have 6 album and having only ever heard them on the radio, it is a delight to see them tearing up the stage tonight with their blues/ rock n roll goodness.

They offer up a short set and captivate the audience with their performance, chatting and telling stories in between songs and it is abundantly clear they are overjoyed to be here. This time it is a big step up from their last gig at Gulliver’s and singer/ guitarist Fynn laughs about the thought of trying to get their current drumkit into a venue that size. Their instruments are all custom made and Fynn urges the audience to think about what you feel in your heart and find the tools to release it. That is what they have done with their music and the passion and energy behind this emotional release is apparent tonight, especially watching Philipp attacking his kit with all manner of hardware including mallets rather than drumsticks.

My favourite song of the night (and possibly my new anthem) is introduced with Fynn telling us that sometimes he gets home from tour and finds he is speaking to himself unkindly. But then the next day he wakes up, looks in the mirror and he knows things will get better… and he tells himself three simple words, which he beseeches us to do with ‘Zero Fucks Given’! Definitely a sentiment I can get behind. They end the set with ‘Your Kisses Burn Like Fire’ and I would urge you to go see them next time they tour. In the meanwhile, check them out, you may be pleasantly surprised by some of their collabs with the likes of Neil Fallon of Clutch and Chrissie Hynde. 

Before too long we are onto the main act and Highly Suspect arrive on stage to be greeted by a now more packed-out venue and rapturous applause. They immediately launch into ‘Claudeland’ from the debut album “Mister Asylum” but as the song draws to a close singer/ guitarist Johnny unplugs his guitar and drops it on the floor. Not a good start to the night but after some swapping over he’s back and they continue with new song ‘Mexico’. He is quite the opposite to their support act and there isn’t much interaction with the crowd, but he does mention he is struggling to hear and there does seem to be a few techy issues throughout the night, which fortunately it isn’t too distracting for the crowd. 

For those who are unfamiliar with Highly Suspect, they are a multi-Grammy Award-nominated band who formed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 2009. For a band that are so huge over the pond, almost everyone I’ve spoken to about them this week has replied with “never heard of them”. Well to be fair neither had I until 2019 when I was introduced to them while in Australia and tonight, I finally get to see them live. This five-piece have released four studio albums including their latest offering, last year’s “The Midnight Demon Club”. Their sound is varied but distinct, with rousing vocals, synth vibes and solid guitar solos. 

With curfew set at 10pm I expected a short set, but we only get nine songs in an hour-long performance (making me wonder if the tech issues have curtailed the intended setlist?). Having never seen them live before it’s hard to know if they are normally this subdued and with notable absences from the playlist including ‘Lydia’ and the heart wrenching ‘16’ it does seem a little odd… but we do get to hear the catchy and raucous ‘Bloodfeather’, which if you haven’t heard them before is a good starting point and showcases Johnny’s striking vocals and their overall unique sound.

The most arresting song of their set is definitely ‘Serotonia’ from the second album “The Boy Who Died Wolf”. Having only heard this song for the first time earlier in the day I am taken aback at the stripped back melodic sound, really allowing Johnny’s heartfelt lyrics to cut through. As I have only seen a few videos online (proper music videos that are thought-provoking and intriguing) and heard them on the radio, I had no idea that Johnny is also their amazing guitarist and hearing the solo in this song is a wonderful experience. After rejigging his pedals and sound effect he places his guitar flat on the floor and plays along from there; it is captivating and reminiscent of Pink Floyd, which given they started out as a covers band, is hardly surprising where their influences come from. There is no pause before they jump straight into another song from the second album with ‘My Name is Human’ where the lights are lowered, and a sea of phone lights illuminate the room, with arms waving back and forth for an instrumental interlude. 

We get one more song before what feels like quite a long intermission, but then I realise it’s been a while since any bands I’ve seen have bothered with the pretence of going off stage and returning for the encore. Johnny thanks The Picturebooks, his band and the crew and we get two final songs minus his guitar, including ‘Pink Lullabye’ from the latest album. This song brings out more of their hip hop, Brooklyn vibe and while it is a good song to end on with everyone being told to jump and a few mosh pits appearing, I much prefer the more melodic songs with Johnny on guitar and vocals. And then, as what feels like a ridiculously early 9.20pm rolls around, the lights go up and it’s all over. Highly Suspect are touring the UK until Sunday 24 September before they head to Europe. 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Highly Suspect, The Picturebooks