White Lies returned to the O2 Academy on the back of their fifth album, FIVE. Opening with ‘Time to Give’, the first song on the new album, followed by ‘There Goes Our Love Again’ off Big TV, got the crowd moving, a sight which had frontman Harry McVeigh very happy to be in Leeds once more. 

Their new songs, ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Finish Line’, have a post-punk influence with a new twist, creating a sound both old and new, as the audience seemed pleased to hear some new songs from the four-piece.  New album aside, they played a range of songs from across their other four albums, with fan favourites ‘Take It Out On Me’, ‘Don’t Want To Feel It All’ and ‘Big TV’ truly energising the crowd. 

The classic old songs, ‘Unfinished Business’ and ‘Bigger Than Us’, brought out their traditional alternative-rock sound. For ‘Death’, a sea of people on shoulders appeared with clapping in unison to the beat and jumping in time to the intense strobe lights. 

The encore began with McVeigh performing a moving solo performance of ‘Change’ on keys, a slower and emotional encore opening but ending with the lively ‘To Lose My Life’ filled the packed-out venue with applause. 

Amy Brown

Header Image Credit: Amy Brown