I saw You Me At Six live five years ago at Alexandria Palace. Since I abandoned my black skinny jeans and edgy enamel pins, I haven’t really kept up with them. But their set at This is Tomorrow reminded me why I’d loved where they’d been and gave me new reasons to be excited about where they’re going.
The hour-long set had something for everyone. Though the band must have performed 'Underdog' and 'Reckless' thousands of times, they still got the crowd dancing with their excitement and enthusiasm. Their newer sound was clearly built with live shows in mind: 'Night People' had me singing along though I’d never heard it before and '3AM' was perfect to bop along to. 'Take on the World' was also a highlight, providing the wholesome sing-along that was needed due to the absence of older songs like 'Crash' and 'Liquid Confidence'. Instead of clinging to their pop-punk roots, these songs have taken the best elements of their old music (Franceshi’s powerful vocals, Heyler’s catchy guitar riffs) and combined them with a touch of synth and funky Arctic Monkeys-esque bass lines.
Above anything, this performance highlighted Franceshi’s growth as a front man. Back in 2014, he was an impressive vocalist and energetic performer, and that hasn’t changed. But as the band has dropped the angst, Franceshi seems to be having way more fun on stage, dancing his heart out while still staying pretty much note perfect throughout. His engaging performance made it impossible not to have fun, whether he was mimicking audience members or inviting them to climb over the barrier to dance with him.
At this point, You Me At Six don’t have to prove themselves. They’ve been a successful band with a reputation for putting on a great show for over ten years. But to any doubters, this set showed why You Me At Six don’t belong with the other scrunched up Kerrang posters at the bottom of your wardrobe - they belong on festival stages putting on a great show.