It’s been a while since I’ve seen You Me At Six at a venue like the O2 Academy – the past few years have been arena tours galore – and I was nervous that they wouldn’t deliver for a show like this, having grown accustomed to masses of pyrotechnics, confetti, and the like.

Within moments of the band walking onto the stage, my fears are crushed, and throughout their set, YMAS prove they truly are married to the music above all else.

A definite highlight of the night is the stripped down ‘Too Young To Feel This Old’, which shows off frontman Josh Franceschi’s guttural tones and impressive vocal range. Before the songs starts, he implores that everyone looks out for each other – he is so sincere in his plea that the room is moved to tears… or maybe that’s just me.

Whilst older songs such as ‘Underdog’ and ‘Loverboy’ are what really get the crowd moving, the new material certainly packs a punch. It’s different, but the band aren’t afraid of that. It’s clear from watching them that they know what they’re doing, they love what they’re doing, and that’s what matters to them. They’re not here to please anyone else – they want everyone to have fun and feel good, but as Franceschi states before launching into closer ‘Night People’, “we’re not going to be all nostalgic and play a load of songs from 20 years ago”. Whilst they might face resistance to this – I personally expect ‘Stay With Me’ to still be on the setlist in 10 years’ time – nobody can object to the notion that this band plan on sticking around.

Ultimately, it’s a triumphant return for the much beloved 5-piece, and I am reminded of one thing – when it comes to giving everyone a good time, and projecting great energy into a room, no one does it better than You Me At Six.

Sophia Simon-Bashall