LIVE REVIEW: Set It Off @ Academy 3, Manchester

A common attitude amongst bands who gain rapid success early in their career is ‘stick with what we know’ or ‘play it safe’, and while this may work for the unambitious, there are a fair few out there who never settle for mediocrity. One band whose constant evolution has forged a stronger, more remarkable version of themselves time and time again are Floridian natives SET IT OFF. From being defined as pop-punk in their early days, the band have gone on to carve out their own niche and have become the architects of a unique sound that only they can provide. This kind of stylistic risk-taking has allowed SET IT OFF to survive the pop-punk genre leaving the zeitgeist and has earned them an army of die-hard, passionate fans who support them wherever they go. On the sold-out UK leg of the Midnight world tour, with heavy hitters BEARINGS and VUKOVI along for the ride, we get a chance to witness what they are all about.

Tasked with getting the night started were Ontario pop-punk up-and-comers Bearings. With excitement for the night ahead sky-high and everyone queuing up early, the band were taking to the stage to a packed room. In a set absolutely bursting with charisma, the band’s boundless energy and catchy pop-punk repertoire quickly won the crowd over and in no time the sold-out crowd were fully behind them. The fact that the band won the whole room over in the span of a relatively short set is a massive testament to how good BEARINGS are. Despite this not being their headline gig and despite the fact the majority of the room weren’t there for them, there is no doubt that they gained themselves a whole cohort of new fans after pulling out all the stops in what was a solid set.

Rating: 8/10

Keeping the night rolling were noisy pop-rockers from the highlands VUKOVI. Battling through illness and quite a few technical difficulties, VUKOVI got off to a lightning start bounding across the stage and showcasing their brand of infectious energy that rapidly spread through the room. It quickly became apparent that the technical difficulties with the monitors and microphone system were interfering with singer Janine Shilstone‘s ability to perform, and if the problem wasn’t going to be resolved, some improvisation was required. Once the opening song was concluded, Janine called for a makeshift box to be placed in the centre of the crowd – and it was stood atop that box that she performed the rest of the set.

From there, the band jumped right into Animal from their brilliant self-titled album and set the room alight. Encircled by the crowd and illuminated by camera flashes, Janine showcased the broad spectrum of her vocal chops in a dazzling display of brilliance. Despite her illness, she tactfully belted out the lyrics without any shred of vocal fatigue in a performance which rivalled the album versions. Unfortunately, due to Janine‘s aforementioned illness, the band’s set had to be brought to an end prematurely so she could rest up for the remaining shows on the tour. Instead of sitting this show out and letting the fans down, the band gave it absolutely everything they had and it proved to be one hell of a set. Bringing things to a close with La Di Da, VUKOVI played their part perfectly, and while many wished the set could have been longer, the packed house were treated to a performance that left absolutely nothing in the reserve tanks.

Rating: 7/10

With the atmosphere in the room positively at boiling point, it was finally time for the main act to take to the stage. With the lights out and electricity in the air palpable, the one-minute countdown to Midnight started and was greeted by the loudest cheer of the night. As the countdown hit zero the band burst onto the stage and jumped right into Lonely Dance from their excellent new album Midnight. Right from the opening lyric, the crowd were passionately singing every word of their new material back at frontman Cody Carson much to his visible delight. It only takes one look at the way they carry themselves for it to become immediately clear that this is a band who are clearly and profusely grateful for every ounce of success they have so deservedly earned.

Despite this show falling bang in the middle of a huge run of sold-out shows, SET IT OFF looked as fresh as ever and delivered an incredibly energetic set, with Cody bounding around the stage while absolutely nailing every vocal part. Playing more of their huge tracks from their latest album, every member of the band brought nothing short of their A-game – and with new tracks Criminal Minds and Killer in the Mirror absolutely setting the room alight, the band seemed to be feeding off the energy the crowd was putting out and giving it right back to them.

A moment of sobering introspection came when the band played the sequel to Dad’s Song, Unopened Windows – a song written about Cody Carson‘s late father. The track contains the melody from famous Irish folk song Danny Boy, a song which held deep personal meaning for Cody and his father. Towards the end of the piece, the main melody was passed to guitarist Dan Clermont who played it on a trumpet once belonging to Cody‘s father. Breaking the set up at around the midway point was an excellent drum solo/remix courtesy of a lone Maxx Danziger behind the kit. Jumping from thumping remixes of You Should See Me in a Crown by Billie Eilish, Britney Spears‘ classic Toxic, 7 Rings by Ariana Grande, Without Me by Halsey, and finishing up with Idol from K-pop superstars BTS, Maxx was a blur of blonde hair flailing arms as he zipped around the kit. Interspersed in this pop mashup was a couple of surprises, one being last year’s viral YouTube hit Baby Shark. Some people say a drum solo is like a sneeze, you can feel it coming but there’s nothing you can do to stop it, but the excellence of this mash-up only served to heighten the atmosphere, not dampen it, with Maxx showcasing his impressive chops behind the kit.

SET IT OFF are a band who are fully deserving of every ounce of success they have gained over the years. Not settling for just playing a ‘gig’, SET IT OFF put on a real show in every sense of the word. Showcasing their excellent musical prowess, infectious energy, and pouring everything they have into every live show, if you go and see them live you will not be disappointed.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: