LIVE REVIEW: LostAlone @ The Star & Garter, Manchester

On a bitingly cold Monday night in Manchester, you may find yourself doubting what has caused you to endure the sub-zero temperatures. Tonight, it is for Derby-based rockers LOSTALONE, who continue their The Touring Twenties tour at The Star & Garter in Manchester. They return for their first post-hiatus headline tour to play songs old and new from latest album The Warring Twenties to a yearning audience, almost eight years to the day since they said farewell at The Venue in Derby.

First to warm up the room are sun soaked pop punk outfit GOLD BLOOM, with their first show with new singer and bassist. “You’re taking our virginity, so be gentle” pleads vocalist Benji Yapp, before bounding into Over It which ends with a colossal drum fill. The four piece provide bundles of energy and buoyant positivity that would even make a shivering soul picture a California sunrise. Their exuberance is infectious, particularly during God Complex as their eyes catch one another’s throughout sparking a few laughs between them. While it is occasionally apparent that their live chemistry and performance still requires some cultivation and polish, it is hard to knock the group for this jubilant outing.

Rating: 6/10

On a tour already boasting a band returning from abandon, main support alt rockers FORT HOPE take the stage playing their first shows since 2017. Renowned for their unique blend of choppy riffs and angelic vocals, they are truly a unique watch. “We’re FORT HOPE, it’s good to be back” proudly exclaims singer Jon Gaskin, before launching headfirst into That’s The Way The River Flows boasting a punchy headbanging chorus groove. The task of balancing a rhythm section that pummels with freight train power of drummer Jamie Nicholls, accenting rhythms of Gaskin’s guitar and bassist Simon Rowlands with beautiful, ornamental vocals sat aloft seems as though it would be an impossible feat, but they tackle that challenge head on and produce truly brilliant results. Despite the occasional extended pause between tracks without addressing the crowd, the excitement fails to drop. “We’re going to play an old one” announces Gaskin as they open up the chugging intro to Sick, clearly a fan favourite by the response as the room takes over the singing of “I’m sick of this empty house” in the build-up to each chorus. They end with Plans allowing Gaskin to exhibit his phenomenal falsetto, and there can truly be no doubts about their talents by the end of this set.

Rating: 8/10

At long last the eight year wait for these fans to see LOSTALONE headline a show comes to an end. Beforehand, vocalist Steven Battelle can be subtly seen meandering through the crowd to reorganise them closer to the stage. Once they take the stage though, subtle can hardly be an apt word to describe them as they pierce straight into Enduring The Dream, Battelle commanding the stage from the off jumping and stamping in time with the powerful intro. He is at home on the stage, conducting the audience’s participation unabashedly throughout, by waving arms or metronomic air punches. They roll rapidly into the crowd adored Vesuvius, and if you arrived here in search of riffs tonight, then look no further. The impressive guitar showing is accompanied aptly by drummer Mark Gibson who does it all while being able to ark his neck to provide Queen inspired backing vocals.

There is a brief lull in the evening due to technical issues, but Battelle fails to miss a beat, showing his appreciation for those who have made their way here by sitting on the stage for a chat with their fans in what became a really affectionate one-off moment. The usual proceedings are soon returned to as they launch into Hostages with their signature expansive vocal layering and flamboyant guitar lines. Battelle continues to flaunt his abilities, producing a guitar with a second neck, masterfully swapping between them during the course of Crusaders, even playing both simultaneously at points. They end the main body of the set with the latest album’s title track The Warring Twenties which Battelle wrote “while the riots were going on in America.”

In the second one-off experience of the night Battelle withdraws to the floor, settled amongst his people staring back at the band to gauge the desire for an encore, encouraging the rest of the group to play one more. Thankfully, once he re-joins the stage, they dutifully accommodate running through Love Will Eat You Alive and finally The Last Drop Of Forever, with one last monstrous solo. The latter powers on with the crowd encouraged to carry on the chorus acapella repeatedly, who happily oblige.

There is undoubtedly a lot of pressure when returning from a long hiatus. Equalling old standards, the question of lost interest, overall doubts. Any of these queries have been unequivocally answered, as LOSTALONE mark their continued return a monumental success.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Jess Robinson here: 

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