Live Review: Funeral For A Friend - O2 Academy, Leeds
18th July 2025
Support: Kill The Lights, Casey, The Blackout
Words & Photos: Martin Hingley
Bringing a stacked all-Welsh lineup to Leeds, Funeral for a Friend return to the stage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their seminal second album Hours—a record that defined a generation.
Opening the night are Kill the Lights, who hit the stage at the unusually early time of 6:15 p.m. Featuring former members of Welsh juggernauts Bullet for My Valentine, they arrive with the kind of swagger you don’t usually see from the first band on a bill. Frontman James Clark impresses immediately with a powerful vocal performance, backed by Jason James on thunderous bass and unclean vocals. Drawing from their roots and the influence of the later bands on the bill, Kill the Lights deliver a fast-paced, high-octane set packed with sharp guitar work and relentless energy.
A brief technical hiccup brings things to a halt mid-set, but the band take it in stride, joking about doing an a cappella version of the next song. By the time they close, pits are starting to open, though the early set time and trickling crowd mean they don’t quite reach full force. Still, Kill the Lights leave a strong impression, they are ones to keep an eye on in the future.
Next up are post-hardcore outfit Casey, playing their first show in almost a year, and it’s clear from the start just how much this moment means. The band instantly capture the hearts of the crowd with their gut-punch lyrics and soaring riffs, delivering a set drenched in raw emotion. There’s visible joy onstage as the band feed off the energy in the room, and the crowd scream every word back in massive singalong moments. Frontman Tom Weaver delivers a gripping performance with a mix of vulnerability and defiance, reminding everyone that no matter how dark things get, there’s always a way forward. With a band this tight, passionate, and emotionally charged behind him, Casey prove that perseverance truly pays off.
By the time The Blackout are due on, the venue is packed to the rafters. If you were lucky enough to see them during their first run, you’ll know exactly what’s coming and they do not disappoint. From the moment they walk out, the energy surges. Dual vocalists Gavin Butler and Sean Smith launch straight into action, swinging microphones and throwing themselves around the stage, driving the fans wild.
It takes just two songs for the set to fully explode, 'Children of the Night' lands early, much to the crowd’s delight. Despite a nearly seven-year hiatus, the band are as tight as ever. There’s genuine camaraderie on stage and a clear sense of fun as they joke about everyone being “too old” for a proper mosh pit before ironically launching into one anyway. They close with 'Save Our Selves', a fan favourite that turns into a huge singalong and a blast of nostalgia.
Then, it’s time for tonight’s headliners.
As early 2000s rock anthems echo between sets, the anticipation builds. When the lights drop and Funeral for a Friend hit the stage, the crowd erupts. Opening with the unmistakable riff of 'All the Rage', they launch into 'Hours' in full, marking the start of a special night. Stepping in on vocals is Lucas Woodland of Holding Absence, and from the first line it’s clear he belongs. Confident and respectful, he slots in seamlessly, doing justice to Matt Davies-Kreye’s legacy.
Playing a full album live can be a risky move, but 'Hours' isn’t just any album. It’s packed with fan favourites and set staples, and tonight, every song hits with the force of twenty years of meaning behind it. Even the tracks that rarely see the light of day sound as polished and powerful as ever, with the fans getting louder and louder as the track listing progresses. Guitarists Kris Roberts, Darran Smith, and Gavin Burrough showcase why this band still commands rooms of this size two decades on.
Midway through, Lucas takes a moment to thank the crowd for allowing him to sing songs he didn’t write and to thank the band for the opportunity. It’s a heartfelt moment echoed by many across the bill tonight, with all the night’s performers expressing thanks to Funeral for a Friend for inspiring or helping launch their careers.
As the final notes of 'Sonny' fade, the band briefly leave the stage before returning for a five-song greatest hits encore. It’s a triumphant end, as tracks like 'Rookie of the Year' turn the room into one massive choir, so loud, Lucas is nearly drowned out by the crowd. They close with 'Into Oblivion' and 'Escape Artists Never Die', before Lucas steps offstage first, giving the core members their moment in the spotlight, a subtle but classy gesture.
Tonight isn’t just a celebration of an album. It is a tribute to the strength of the Welsh music scene, the enduring power of community, and the emotional impact of a band that helped define a scene. For everyone who grew up spinning Hours on their CD Walkman or downloading it onto their MP3 players, this was a night to remember—nostalgic, emotional, and utterly electrifying.
Photo credits: Martin Hingley
