Live Review: RØRY – O2 Ritz, Manchester
10th March 2025
Support: As December Falls, Lake Malice
Words: Matthew Williams
Photos: Nic Howells
Its not often that I go to a gig where I’m unfamiliar with the headline act but tonight was one of those rare occasions. Following a meteoric rise, RØRY is an artist that I didn’t know much about, but when doing my research, it struck me that this was going to be more than just another gig.
When I headed into the venue, there was a different atmosphere, almost like a sense of community, perhaps this is what “The 37 Club” is all about. The one thing that immediately struck me was that for the first time ever, I was outnumbered. This was a female dominated gig, and for me, that can only be a good thing, as the celebratory vibe was flooding the venue.
First up was Brighton’s Lake Malice, and they kick off with some snazzy drumbeats blasting out of the PA, making for a big sound alongside their live drummer. They begin with 'Blossom" allowing Alice Guala to display her melodic screaming whilst guitarist Blake Cornwall runs round like a lunatic who’s escaped from the asylum. A new drumbeat sees “Magic Square” follow, as Guala drops to her knees at the front and gets the crowd to join in with her clapping.
"This goes out to everyone whose every felt abandoned, this is Mitsuko” as Guala attempts to get their version of a circle pit, via the medium of a conga line, which falls flat except for a few adventurous types at the front. It's greeted by a "that was so cute" as she introduces their latest single “Scatterbrain”, which is all about the smallest tasks becoming unbearable and it's a decent song with another cracking backing beat. It gets big cheers at the end before she announces another new song called “Nobody Wants to be You”. This sees the intensity go up a few notches and Cornwall jumping off the small, raised platforms at the front.
“This is a song about anxiety and how we can push it back into the darkness if you jump about, so let's see you all jump, this is called Stop the Party”. And it flows well before the final song “Bloodbath”, where the crowd are encouraged to give it all you've got to another ace drum and bass beat, to wrap up an entertaining set.
With “Boom Boom Boom” by The Vengaboys blasting out, the lights are lowered as the crowd sing along. I saw As December Falls supporting Skindred in Liverpool last October year and enjoyed their brand of emo pop punk, so was expecting more of the same tonight. The 3 walk out to decent applause before singer Bethnay Curtis appears, and they start with “Ride”, but the vocal wasn’t very clear from where I was stood at the back.
“We are As December Falls from Nottingham, raise your hands if you've seen us before” shouts Curtis. “How about a new song Manchester, this is called Therapy”. Vocals are a bit better this time and by the time we get the sirens signalling the start of “Mayday” the crowd are dancing and enjoying themselves. With a few spins and high kicks, Curtis has a smile wide enough to light up the Manchester skyline, as they launch into the anthemic “I Don't Feel Like Feeling Great” and this seems to wake the band up with more tempo and energy, as they feed off the crowd singing the catchy chorus.
“Little by Little” sees Sean, their merch guy, crowd surf from the front to the back in search of a pint whilst holding a selfie stick as he films, and I watch kids with mums and dads dancing along. “We’ve got a few more songs left, including another new one `Angry Cry`” which doesn't have the same fizz as the others but the crowd sings along happily to the chorus. “Thanks to all of you this is the last one so give it all you've got” shouts Curtis before guitarist Ande Hunter steps in with “we know you can sing Manchester, and we know you can dance but can you circle pit?” And the answer was clearly no, as they end with “Carousel”. They didn’t seem as good as when I last saw them, but they are certainly more popular.
Then it was time for the headline act. As I’ve said earlier, the atmosphere was different, almost as if it is a self-help group coming together for a celebration, to worship at the feet of their founder, Roxanne Pink, better known as RØRY.
As the crowd have an impromptu sing along to “Zombie” by The Cranberries, the stage fills with dry ice as the church bells chime, lights fire up to reveal the gothic arches stage props, the band walk on, camera phones are poised and on she walks, beginning with “In The Bible”. The emotions pour out of the audience as they sing back every word and continues into “If Pain Could Talk, What would it Say?”.
“Manchester, how the fuck are we doing?” which is greeted with a gladiatorial roar, before the first of many anthemic songs “Uncomplicated”. “Manchester, what business do you have being louder than London?” sends the crowd wild, “there’s 1400 of you in here tonight and you must all like sad songs as that’s what I write about, and turning my ex in a baby” which probably gets the biggest cheer of the night!! “I’ve tried to stop singing this song, as I was toxic when I wrote it, but I’m a people person, and if you like it, then Glasgow gets it tomorrow, this is called `Baby Vendetta`” It’s a hugely popular song, as the crowd sway and dance and sing along, “Yeah, Glasgow is getting it” she smiles afterwards.
More melodrama follows, with “Help your Friends Get Sober” and we then get the first of many monologues from RØRY, as bass player Pete plays the piano, a recurring theme of the concert. This is what the crowd have come for, to hear her tales of self-harm, drug abuse, and how to this day, 18 years on, she still misses her mum, as Bethany Curtis from As December Falls, joins her for “My Funeral Song”
“Are you having fun Manchester?” she asks, “well, enough of that, it’s only devastating heartbreak from now on” she jokes, as Pete goes back to the piano and she tells us about how she is 6 and a half years sober and dreams really can come true, and encourages anyone whose ever lost anyone close to them to stick their hand in the air and shout out their name. “Jesus & John Lennon” is followed by “ANIT-REPRESSANT” as the crowd sing their hearts out back to her. She smiles as she says “oh dear, Pete is back at the piano” as she speaks more about how she’d written herself off, her years in high debt, self-harming, but she’s proud of making it through to get here tonight. “I made a pretty good decision by getting a really good partner” as he walks onto the stage, hugs her says “hello” to the crowd and walks off, and we hear about the good things that the Facebook group The 37 Club has done for her adoring fans.
After “Family Tree” she disappears off stage, and with two spotlights searching back off the stage, she appears on the balcony right above me, with her guitarist as they sing acoustic versions of “One Drink Away” and “The Apology I’ll Never Receive” and she introduces a small lad saying “it’s great to see you out her supporting live music James”. Next up is a massive slice of pop punk called “Morality Suicide” which is filled with raw emotion from everyone, and she’s then joined by Joe from Amber Run for “Hold On”.
Red lights flood the stage for “Wolves” and the first verse sounds eerily like “Zombie” before Pete steps up to the piano once again as RØRY talks about her album “Restoration” and she thanks the crowd for putting her where she is today, and then it gets more emotional as she opens up about the relationship with her Dad. About how she never felt good enough for him, and that feeling of loss. “He lives an hour away from the show in London, and yet he wouldn’t come to watch me” She continues with more talk of how she hated herself, but she is moving on and plays the final song of the album, “The Atheist”.
A Nokia ringtone blasts out and then stops. A few people are carried out by paramedics and security, and RØRY thanks them for helping her audience feel safe, then she proceeds with “It feels a bit weird saying this now, but are you ready to party Manchester? “ as they scream back their approval before “Sorry I’m Late”. With hands and phones in the air, the end is nigh, as “Blossom” is sung by all, to end a poignant evening that will become another chapter in the enthralling book all about RØRY.
Photo credits: Nic Howells
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