LIVE REVIEW: Only The Poets – Club Academy, Manchester – 30/01/2026

Only The Poets’ Manchester show felt like a genuine milestone moment, arriving on the same day their long-awaited debut album And I’d Do It Again finally saw the light of day. There was a tangible sense of excitement in the room, part album-release celebration, part communal victory, amplified further by the band’s £1 ticket show in Brixton later that week, a move that underlined their ongoing commitment to keeping live music accessible to everyone. In an era where gigs are becoming increasingly out of reach for many fans, that sentiment mattered, and Manchester felt fully on board with it. With the brilliant Alfie Jukes opening the night and setting a warm, heartfelt tone, this wasn’t just another stop on the tour schedule. It felt like a moment of arrival for Only The Poets, a band stepping confidently into their next chapter while making it clear that inclusivity, connection and shared experience remain at the heart of everything they do.

Before the night had even properly begun, Only The Poets had already set the tone. As we arrived at the venue, the band were stationed at the merch desk, signing copies of And I’d Do It Again ahead of the opener. In an industry where moments like that are increasingly rare, it was a genuinely refreshing sight, and a clear show of respect to the fans who’ve supported them to this point. Carving out that time to connect face-to-face felt perfectly in line with everything the band stood for, reinforcing the sense that this night was always going to be about community as much as celebration.

Alfie Jukes opened the night with a set that immediately pulled the room in, delivering an emotional acoustic performance that stripped everything back to its core. With just himself and his guitarist on stage, the simplicity worked in his favour, giving the songs a deeper impact and creating an intimate, almost living-room-like atmosphere in a packed venue. His voice carried effortlessly, soaring through hard-hitting lyrics that prompted quiet singalongs and moments of collective stillness. Between songs, Alfie took time to reflect on how much the night meant to him, sharing that it felt like a full-circle moment after having toured with Only The Poets two years prior, and expressing genuine gratitude for being back in Manchester. It was a heartfelt, beautifully delivered set that set the emotional tone for everything that followed.

When Only The Poets finally took to the stage, the room was thick with emotion and gratitude, the kind that only comes from a band standing on the brink of a new chapter. Opening with the album’s title track And I’d Do It Again, the set immediately felt like both a celebration and a thank you. From there, the band blended new material with well-loved favourites, and despite much of the album being heard live for the very first time, the crowd met every song with open arms, vibing just as hard to the unfamiliar as they did screaming every word back to the tracks they already knew by heart.

A clear standout was Emotionally Hungover, the chorus detonating so loudly that I found myself looking around the room in disbelief. That moment, hundreds of voices colliding in unison, was live music in its purest form, a reminder of the connection that makes nights like this matter. Only The Poets soaked up every cheer, every singalong and every ounce of love thrown their way, feeding it straight back into a performance that felt deeply heartfelt and utterly committed. It was the best I’ve seen them in a long while, a band fully aware of what this moment meant and rising to meet it.

Throughout the night, Only The Poets repeatedly paused to speak directly to the crowd, openly thanking the fans for helping them reach this moment and for standing by them every step of the way. There was something refreshingly unpolished about it, genuine reflections on how hard they’ve worked, how long this journey has been, and just how much it meant to finally be standing onstage with a debut album out in the world. The gratitude never felt scripted; it felt earned, heartfelt, and deeply sincere, with the band clearly aware of the time, energy and belief their fans have poured into them.

It’s hard not to feel that they’re entirely deserving of that loyalty. This may only be the beginning of their debut era, but the foundation they’ve built is already incredibly strong, and there’s a clear sense that this is just the start of something much bigger. The night closed on an undeniable high with an encore of fan favourites JUMP! and Emotional, sending the crowd home buzzing, a fitting end to a show that celebrated not just a record release, but a band and community growing together.

In the end, Only The Poets’ Manchester show felt like a celebration of far more than just a debut album release. From the intimate connection at the merch desk, to Alfie Jukes’ heartfelt opening set, to a headline performance overflowing with gratitude, emotion and shared joy, the night was built on genuine human connection. And I’d Do It Again already feels like a powerful starting point, but it was the live show that truly cemented just how special this era could become. Only The Poets aren’t just releasing music, they’re building a community, and on this night in Manchester, it was impossible not to believe that this is only the beginning of something much bigger.

Words by Ell Bradbury