Last night, Djo delivered a spectacular set to a sold-out crowd at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse. Following the release of his third album ‘The Crux’, anticipation was high. The performance brought the new album to life alongside many beloved tracks throughout the discography.
First to take the stage was Post Animal, known for their genre-blurring psychedelic rock sound. With Joe Keery working closely alongside, the band received a warm welcome, clearly at home in their familiar territory. A heavy bassline and quirky musical twists fuelled their performance, packed with insane riffs and guitar tricks to top it off. Dynamic and cool, they gave a nice teaser of what was to come.
The room was bubbling with anticipation. As the lights dimmed, the crowd erupted into cheers and screams. Joe Keery walked out onto the stage wearing a sleek, tailored suit with his signature waves perfectly in place. He radiated charm and confidence whilst enthusiastically greeting fans, sending a wave of chaos through the room.
Djo’s unique sound is built around synths, gritty riffs, and an electronic voice, drawing on the nostalgia of 70s and 80s sounds with a modern twist that resonates with younger fans. A sea of phones lit up the room as doting fans were desperate to capture every moment to look back on.
Following its vitality on TikTok, fans were eager to hear ‘End of Beginning’. Having garnered over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify, it is Djo’s most popular song by far. Here, Keery confronts the emotions of change and sudden fame following his role as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things. The song is a moment of introspection and reflecting on how life has changed, yet beneath it all he’s still the same person. The crowd loved the dreamy vocals, slow drums and bass, falling into the song’s emotional pull. They swooned to the catchy melody, powerfully echoing the infamous line ‘You take the man out of the city, not the city out the man!’
The setlist was tight, with many fan favourites. There was an undeniable joy in the room during ‘Chateau (Feel Alright)’. The crowd blended into the groove of the song, led by the smooth bass. Keery confidently strutted across the stage drawing even more energy from his audience. Fans danced and swayed, caught up in the rhythm.
As the night came to a close, fans were beaming looking back on the unforgettable performance. Many hung around, hoping to see their favourite band one last time outside the venue. Mid-way through his tour having a new album behind him, 2025 has been a very successful year for Djo with undoubtedly many more things to come.
WORDS BY KATIE LEE
PHOTO CREDIT – SIMON LEE
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