With a trio of nights at KOKO, London, Don Broco drew their “Birthday Party” tour to a close, and we had a chance to check out the show on Dec. 18.
Taking to the stage first, Ocean Grove from Melbourne, Australia, brought the energy early as they relentlessly stormed through their set, cramming in as many songs as they could fit into 30 minutes, getting the crowd jumping and clapping along right from the off-with quite a few keen fans in the audience.
Trash Boat’s energy ebbed and flowed and peaked during “Liar Liar,” when we were challenged to meet the Leicester show’s level, which singer Tobi Duncan told us had been the best show of the tour for them. Duncan then instructed us to spin the pit like a Beyblade, which the crowd obliged.
Don Broco have been touring heavily. Since the beginning of October, they completed The Amazing Things North America tour and then jumped almost straight into The “Birthday Party” Tour around the UK. They could be forgiven for losing even a small fraction of their energy and enthusiasm after two months on the road, but Don Broco have always been the epitome of extraversion, drawing everything from their ruckus crowds and handing it all straight back in abundance.
The setlist delivered precisely what a Broco fan would be after. Launching straight into “Gumshield” and then the truly unique “Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan,” the crowd were suitably warmed early on.
Frontman Rob Damiani had been sporting a neck brace for the last eight shows on this run, having “Done himself a mischief.” It did nothing to slow him down, though, and strangely didn’t feel entirely out of step with his quirky 90s-themed stage wear.
The show continued with plenty of hits from Amazing Things, the album Broco have been riding high on for the last few tour cycles. Damiani announced what fans have probably been expecting: that next up is a break in the relentless touring schedule to write a new album.
“We take fucking ages to write a record,” Damiani admitted, “These are gonna be the last set of shows for a very long time.”
A brief chill out in the set came in the form of an acoustic version of “Yeah Man” from the 2012 album Priorities before they jumped straight back into the more recent hits with “Revenge Body” and “Endorphins.”
For an encore, Broco delighted with a cover of East 17’s “Stay Another Day,” emerging complete with the entire band decked out in white puffer jackets. It was a genuinely flawless cover and a definite highlight of the night.
Ending, in what has come to be the signature conclusion to every Broco show over the past few years, “T-shirt Song” drew the night to a close with a sea of spinning clothes and one final leap around. Lastly, there was also a sense of anticipation about what future Don Broco shows will bring once the next album is out in the world.