Following the cancellation of their 2021 tour, Death Cab for Cutie made their triumphant return to the UK in support of their latest album, I Built You a Tower. The band return to an audience of dedicated fans with the intention of letting the elder millennials relive their youth and deliver an emotional set of all time emo/indie classics with Pool Kids joining the show.

Pool Kids went first and their set was an energised collection of Mid West Emo style bangers complete with clean tapping parts and twiddly finger picked riffs in between the impassioned screams of Christine Goodwyne. The early portions of the set were full of overwhelming bass that made it hard to pick some of the more intricate guitar work without having to relocate to a different part of Victoria Warehouse.

I did some exploring to find a spot with better sound while the venue was still filling up and there were a few spots that had great sound. Christine’s vocals came through in one specific spot and you could make out all the intricate tapping parts without it being overwhelmed by the distorted bass. Tracks like Easier Said than Done gave this brilliant melancholy vibe that set off the night and paved the way for Death Cab to deliver the finishing blow of heartwrenching sentimentality and just like that, we were ready to see goodbye and get a Death Cab performance that most in the audience had been waiting for since they were teens.

After a short break, Death Cab for Cutie made it to the stage and got straight into the low key and laid back Riptide. Death Cab aren’t a wild and raucous time despite their name, it’s a more quiet and contemplative time as their lyrical content has always seemed more important than what the guitars and drums are doing, not to discount the stellar work Dave Pepper and Jason McGerr do to fill out that beautifully melancholy sound.

The set rolled on with a solid mix of old and new: Black Sun made for a high energy singalong and all the tracks from I Built You a Tower showed off a sense of progression in tone with tracks like How Heavenly a State feeling different enough from the old tracks to give this feeling of maturing and aging through music without abandoning what made them so relatable to star with. Frontman Ben Gibbard even comments “This one’s an oldie. We have oldies now” before getting into Company Call.

The Ghost of Beverly Drive had this ethereal tone and showcased drummer, Jason McGerr, at his absolute peak as he drove the song with such power and precision which gave everyone else the freedom to refine the song into the emotionally driven and delicate fine point that it needed.

A highlight for many was the gorgeous solo acoustic rendition of I Will Follow You into the Dark by Ben Gibbard which featured the audience singing along beautifully and filling out an already full venue with songs that have enriched the lives of many. Ben Gibbard remarked early on in the set “It is an honour to be in the greatest music city in the world” and dedicated this song to The Stone Roses and speaking as a Manc, it was a worthy tribute.

For some latecomers to Death Cab, it’s hard to get a sense of how much this band means to so many in the audience. For two decades they’ve been a constant in their lives with heartfelt lyrics that have changed meanings at major milestones in their lives but still kept that pertinent and relatable feeling. Long may they continue to write music this vulnerable and heartfelt.

Death Cab for Cutie (C) Christopher James Ryan Photography

Pool Kids (C) Christopher James Ryan Photography