The Struts with Barns Courtney & James Bruner– Manchester Albert Hall.

The Struts and Barns Courtney have joined forces this year on a co-headline tour, and FRAMEmusic is seeing them at Manchester’s own Albert Hall. A show that brings two fan bases together to make one complete package.

Singer / Songwriter James Bruner was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois. With 5 years of experience in the industry James has gained stage presence knowledge and is ready to open the Manchester crowd this evening!. He’s here to warm up the crowd on what is a freezing Tuesday in Manchester. James takes to the stage in leather pants and an open button top as the others follow looking like they had stepped out of a Time Machine that’s taken them from the 70s, in bell bottom denim jeans and silky button up shirts.

Their first song kicks off, which starts off relatively slow with just James on the stage before the rest of the guys gather around him and take positions with the intro to the song being slow and soft, and as you think this is going to be a simple soft start they kick you in the face with a hard rock riff kicking the show right off, with the enthusiasm from the crowd. James has the crowd swooning with his charisma on stage, with there being a cheer whenever more buttons of the skirt come undone before it’s fully off, clearly ignoring the UK temps.

A blend of soft and classic rock they bring the crowd’s moods up as they go further and further into the set. Debuting a new single to the crowded enjoyment and climbing into the barrier to join in with the front row crowd. James Bruner and his guys have the energy and are the perfect opening act for a band like The Struts and Barns Courtney.

The Struts now have their time to shine, the rock band formed in Derby in 2012 have gained an incredible following in the past twelve years, and they’re one band that you honestly would think had been going on for longer with how naturally they act on stage. This is my second time at a Struts show, and both times I have asked the question “what is he on because I want some of it”.

lead singer, Luke Spiller’s energy is another level the man doesn’t stop from start to finish throughout the entire show putting most front men to shame with the stage presence that he naturally shows throughout the band’s set. The connection the band has with the audience is like nothing you could ever see, there isn’t a performer to compare them too when it comes to stage presence like this. Each lyric was sung beautifully to the point where you have to question if there is a backing track involved because his voice is so effortlessly flawless it’s like a recording in front of your eyes.

They get towards the end with their set by a friendly bit of crowd competition on which side is the lowest with it being the left (bassist side) and the right (guitarist side) against each other, before making the crowd take part in the Silent Crowd Trend, where the crowd at the signal of the band has to go completely still and silent which naturally always results into someone shouting to get the crowd laughing, this time it was “sausages”.

They finish with Could Have Been Me, a clear fan favourite. Before ending their set for the night The Struts are the type of band that need flowers throwing onto the stage after every performance because it’s always a theatre level show that deserves its praise.

Setlist:

Primadonna Like Me
Fallin’ With Me
Body Talks
Too Good at Raising Hell
Dirty Sexy Money
The Ol’ Switcheroo
Can’t Stop Talking
Kiss This
Better Love
Pretty Vicious
In Love With a Camera
Put Your Money on Me
Could Have Been Me

Finally our second headliner for the evening takes to the stage, Barns Courney is an English singer, Songwriter and Musician from Buckinghamshire, England. In contrast to the previous night of the tour Barns is on top for this show.

He struts onto the stage with a glow-up-mic spinning it around with already an insane amount of energy, and I just know we’re in for one incredible set.

Their guitarist plays like he’s from another planet in every positive way possible, he stands above everyone else with the guitar held in the air 95% of the time. That man is one with his guitar and doesn’t have it any other way.

Barns Courtney’s music was electrifying and his voice has a level of power and intensity that just sits it perfectly.

The performances that have been going on tonight have proven that rock is not dead, despite what most gatekeepers say these days. Barns Courtney knows how to put on a performance while holding a wine bottle in one hand and a mic in the other, (let’s hope it’s not real wine), giving that rock n’ roll image from the past and keeping it here in the present day. The way Barns Courtney compliments his bandmates is an amazing thing to see, just a group of guys enjoying life while performing keeps themselves happy but also their audience just watching everything unfold in front of them.

Setlist: