LIVE REVIEW: VOILÀ – Academy 3, Manchester – 27/08/2025

VOILÀ’s Manchester show felt less like a tour stop and more like a shared celebration. From the first notes, the crowd’s roar was deafening, voices instantly rising to meet every lyric as if they’d been rehearsing for weeks. The band fed off that energy, throwing themselves into each song with a mix of polish and raw urgency: slick, punchy choruses paired with moments where emotion cracked through the surface. The lights bathed the stage in sharp bursts of color, amplifying the drama, while between songs the band kept things grounded with warmth and humor, thanking fans for sticking by them.

Dutch Melrose kicked off the night with a set that felt fresh and full of intent, immediately proving he wasn’t just there to warm up the room but to make a lasting impression. His slick, pop-infused beats and smooth delivery had the crowd moving early, but it was the newer track Pretty Please that really hit, a playful, catchy standout that had fans singing back by the second chorus. Between songs, Dutch’s easy charisma and constant connection with the audience kept the energy high, turning curious onlookers into engaged participants. By the end of his slot, he’d not only set the stage for the acts to follow but also carved out a space of his own in the night’s memory.

Chri$tian Gate$ stormed the stage with a restless energy that immediately shifted the night into a higher gear. Dressed with his signature alt-pop flair and armed with a voice that slid effortlessly between smooth melodies and gritty bursts of emotion, he wasted no time making the space feel like his own. The opening track had heads nodding, but it was when he launched into FREAK that the crowd really erupted—fans at the barricade belting every word while newcomers quickly caught on. BLEED hit just as hard, its moody pulse matched by flashing strobes that turned the venue into a whirlwind of sound and colour. Gate$ worked the stage with ease, pacing from one side to the other, crouching down to sing directly to fans in the front row, and tossing in playful asides that kept the energy loose. By the time his set closed, he’d bridged the gap between opener and main act, leaving the room buzzing with the sense that they’d just seen an artist on the verge of something bigger.

VOILÀ opened their Manchester set with the cinematic swell of Level 1, 2, 3, a dramatic intro that instantly pulled the crowd into their world. The opening stretch surged with adrenaline, songs rolling out in quick succession so that there was barely a chance to breathe between them. The floor was already moving, arms were in the air, and voices rose in unison, as if the entire room had been waiting for this release all week. The band carried themselves with the kind of energy that blurs the line between performance and catharsis: Gus pushing every lyric with urgency, Luke prowling the stage with guitar in hand, both feeding off the roar in front of them. It wasn’t polished in a distant way; it felt messy, alive, and completely communal—an opening half that set the tone for a night built on shared intensity.

As the set rolled into its second half, VOILÀ shifted gears with a confidence that kept the room hanging on every move. The atmosphere swung between moments of raw vulnerability and bursts of unfiltered chaos, with the band commanding both ends of the spectrum effortlessly. One moment the venue was lit by a thousand phone screens swaying in the dark, the next it was a storm of flashing lights, stomping feet, and voices raised to the rafters. The chemistry between band and audience only deepened—playful winks from the stage; fans screaming back inside jokes; the kind of exchanges that make a show feel singular to that night. When guest Chri$tian Gate$ returned to join them for after(h)ours, the energy tipped into pure celebration, blurring the line between performers and crowd. By the time Voilà pushed into their closing stretch, the room felt less like a gig and more like a collective release, Manchester matching them beat for beat until the very last chord.

Walking out of the venue, there was that rare feeling you only get after a night that completely sweeps you up like you’ve been part of something bigger than yourself. Voilà didn’t just play a set, they gave everything, and Manchester gave it right back. Between the singalongs, the jokes, the sweaty chaos, and the quieter moments that caught everyone off guard, it felt less like watching a band and more like being in the middle of a shared celebration. Nights like this are why you chase live music—because when it all clicks the way it did here, you leave a little lighter, a little louder, and already wishing you could do it all over again.

Words by Ell Bradbury