Bob Vylan at the Manchester Academy.

By Jim Blunt.

Punk duo Bob Vylan brought their Humble As the Sun tour to Manchester Academy, to a fantastic reception, well worthy of the phenomenal show they delivered.

Photos by Esme Bones.

It was our third time catching the Bobs, so we knew to expect great things from their performance, and they outdid themselves with this fantastic setlist. Following support from CLT DRP and Hyphen, we of course started with some light stretches and meditation, a tradition at a Bob Vylan show. The setlist kicked off with "Reign", one of our favourite tracks from their 2024 album Humble As the Sun. We then went straight into "GYAG (Get Yourself A Gun)" and "Dream Big". Bobby spoke about how in their most recent album, they experimented with ways of getting their music heard by more people, by softening some of the sounds and language. It worked as they were able to infiltrate the BBC and even appeared on Jools Holland. Regardless of these changes, every Bob Vylan song is packed with message and meaning, relatable to UK citizens especially, but that would be powerful to any listener. The night continued with "He's A Man".

Photos by Esme Bones.

The setlist ran through a medley of Bob Vylan classics, from their earlier albums, We Live Here and Bob Vylan Presents: The Price of Life. During "Pretty Songs" Bobby entered the crowd for what might have been the fourth time in the performance, so sing with the audience. The line "black lives have always mattered", was altered to "Palestinian lives has always mattered". The Bobs have advocated for the freedom of Palestine many times across their social media and their live shows, proving themselves to be a band who does not ignore what is going on in the world, using their platform to speak. Bobby delivered a powerful speech, "We are here almost exactly a year later, asking, begging, and pleading with you, to continue doing the same thing we were asking you to do last year. Free Palestine each and every single time."

Photos by Esme Bones.

The night ended with powerhouse track "Hunger Games", before the Bobs went to the merch stand to meet fans and sign merch. Their show had to be one of our best of the year so far, energetic, electric, and full of impact. In alliance and in honour of the Bobs' words and dedication to doing their part to hopefully influence their listeners to advocate for Palestine, we have included some fundraisers, for our readers to support the Palestine and Gaza relief fund.

The Palestine Children's Relief Fund - https://www.pcrf.net/

Gaza Appeal for Children in Crisis - https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate/children-in-gaza-crisis-appeal/

Islamic Relief UK Palestine Appeal - https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/giving/appeals/palestine/

Ways to support Medical Aid for Palestinians - https://www.map.org.uk/ways-to-give/ways-to-give