The Maccabees at The Albert Hall Manchester review

Image: The Maccabees 

Few indie bands can rival the path of The Maccabees. A two-night run at Manchester's Albert Hall signifies the glory of their run from a fresh-faced five-piece sweeping the DIY scene to a band 10 years down the line operating at the peak of their powers. 

They released their fifth album Marks To Prove It last year. It was a record that scoped the effects of gentrification in the Elephant and Castle area of London where they recorded their most polished album to date.

What was telling from the audience demographic is that The Maccabees have extended their appeal massively with Marks To Prove It. Their allure now extends far beyond the buoyant indie-pop songs that emerged in their infancy, albeit without shedding any of the fun and exuberance.  

It only took opener 'Marks To Prove It' to realise the density in the melody of their new songs and the infectious rhythms they create -maximised by a touring percussionist and of course drummer Sam. 

They're an incredible live band; Felix covered every crevice of the stage whilst manically wielding his guitar, Hugo was as equally impassioned as his brother.

When singing the simmered moments of bliss on songs like 'Feel To Follow', front man Orlando could draw the gaze of an entire roman amphitheatre. At one point, he managed a sea of imitating fluttering hands for the shimmering chorus of 'Kamakura' with a single hand movement. 

The touring brass section added greatly to the spectacle, fleshing out many incredible moments like the wailing and uplifting centre-piece of 'Something Like Happiness'.

A mid-set flurry of the timeless 'X-Ray', 'No Kind Words' and 'Latchmere' raised the entire top tier of the former Weslayen Chapel to their feet, prompting a mass sing-a-long in unison with the revellers below.   

'Toothpaste Kisses' patently followed further down the set list with a enrapturing instrumental build up, while the serene 'WW1 Portraits' unravelled to its soaring climax before drowning out with its jinking rhythm to continue the encore. 

The opening zip of 'Pelican' cut through the carnival atmosphere for the band's last bow of the night. It was an evening were you couldn't help falling in love with The Maccabees again, while the band fittingly paid homage to Manchester and its adorning support down the years.

Read: The Maccabees Marks To Prove It review