Funeral For A Friend // The Blackout // Casey // Kill The Lights // Live Review // O2 Academy // Leeds
When Funeral for a Friend announced a two-date run celebrating Welsh talent and their iconic 2000s album, fans knew they were in for something special. Curated with care and stacked with homegrown firepower, the mini-tour promised both nostalgia and fresh energy. Originally booked elsewhere, the lineup pounced onto the O2 Academy stage with unrelenting force.
Kill the Lights kicked things off with a relentless onslaught of groove‑laden metal that locked onto the crowd from the second one. Hailing from both Wales and the US, this metalcore super‑group wasted no time launching into cuts from Death Melodies, their March 2024 release. The room was half‑full—typical for an early slot—but that didn’t slow them down. The unity of the members on drums and bass laid the groundwork for atmospheric interludes and crushing breakdowns.
The vocalist sounded untouchable, shifting effortlessly between clean choruses and vitriolic screams. The guitarists prowled the stage, occasionally locking eyes with the audience before spearing into another riff that set off spontaneous headbangs and fist pumps across the front rows. The band’s cohesive energy and tight performance created immersion—if you blinked, you risked missing a pit‑splitting moment.
https://found.ee/killthelights
Casey took the stage next, switching gears into emotive post‑hardcore with cinematic flair. Their set leaned heavily on tracks from “How to Disappear,” the atmospheric and introspective album they released in January. The singer’s voice was raw and honest, alternately spoken, melodic, and screaming, weaving lyrics of loss, reconciliation, and personal struggle.
The audience responded in kind; after every line, the fans in the crowd would echo. Subtle ambient guitars and shoegaze textures filled the quieter moments, then would swell into emotional crescendos that felt like waves crashing over the crowd. Stage lighting shifted from hushed blue tones during the build‑ups to stark bursts as the band hit their heaviest riffs. It was a performance that felt deeply personal—Curling up like a confession from Weaver, yet powerful enough to bring strangers together in a moment of communal catharsis.
https://linkin.bio/caseytheband/
The Blackout are a Welsh piece enjoying the highs of a long awaited fans after the deep betrayal of calling it quits.They re-emerged in late 2022, it felt like a seismic shock through the Welsh post-hardcore scene—not least because the band had been absent since their emotionally charged farewell tour in 2015. Will I be biased about this band? Yes. They were a favourite growing up. I feel for anyone who missed the hype because their return heralds the new era of the band and I HOPE they experience the high they’ve always meant to.
It’s hard to believe this band isn’t the headliner. Though in some people’s eyes they will be. At least 90% of the crowd is on their feet as the band plays their hits. I think every song on the setlist is a fan favourite? Children of the night, never by your side, top of the world. It’s hard to highlight only one that stands out. The band brings the energy with each track they play.
Has everyone here heard the term “serving cunt”? I can’t think how I can describe Sean Smith’s energy other than serving cunt. All the members feel as if they’ve never left the stage. I can see none are more enthusiastic than Sean himself who frolicked around, him and Gavin in perfect unison as they switched sides and engaged with the people beyond the barrier. The stage banter and reassurance that they aren’t racists now they’re bold is a great break from the immense sweating and sore knee joints.
Funeral for a Friend’s announcement of a short UK run sent ripples through the scene—especially with the promise of performing their iconic 2005 album Hours in full. A cornerstone of British post-hardcore, Hours captured a generation with its blend of soaring melodies, crushing emotion, and raw catharsis. Now, nearly two decades on, the Welsh legends are revisiting that legacy with renewed intensity. This tour isn’t just a nostalgic victory lap—it’s a reminder of the enduring power of a record that helped define an era.
Funeral for a friend makes a return to Leeds with Lucas of Holding Absence at the helm. The band received a thanks from The Blackout for their help throughout the years, and it really makes you realise how close knit the Welsh alternative community is. Seeing the band on the stage singing their iconic album really hones in how much we’ve all grown. Lucas addresses the crowd as if he’s always been the vocalist, you can tell he’s a fan of the album itself and being on stage with the OGs.
The fans in the pit are gonna be aching tomorrow. Almost every hand is outstretched and phones up in the air recording the iconic set. When the riffs drop, you can see the middle jumping up and down with airs around each other. I just realised how all the bands I grew up with are doing album anniversary tours, and now I feel old once again. The crowd have been waiting a long time for this I can tell, with their old old tour shirts and caps on backwards.
The performance is great all around. All them on stage seasoned musicians and Lucas fits right in as a fan and the vocalist. His vocals are further supported by vocals from guitar at the far right. The guitarists themselves manoeuvre around the stage in their sections- especially the bassist, who makes sure to greet each side of the barrier. They all make use of the platforms along the front, delivering the classic one leg up at least once. It’s clear from the smiles on their faces that they’re happy to be on stage and hearing the voices below sing back to them.
This tour is to celebrate an iconic album for a lot of people and Welsh alternative music. It’s great to see these bands in their element and delivering the best they can. Each band is carefully selected and it would be a shame to miss any of them. Keep an eye for those future performance dates and get on the hype.
https://funeralforafriend.co.uk/
Review & Photography: Jayne Slater
