LIVE REVIEW: Therapy? Manchester Academy, 14th November 2024

My first time seeing Therapy? was opening the main stage at Reading festival 1992 and I have seen them on every tour since. They are one of the most consistently good live bands on the circuit. 

The Irish punk rock band arrive at the Manchester Academy celebrating 30 years of their breakthrough album Troublegum, and this is the biggest venue they have played in Manchester for a long time. The place is packed, and the atmosphere is electric. 

The intro tape plays, the band hit the stage and open with a blistering Stop It, You’re Killing Me. Unsurprisingly, the crowd goes wild. Therapy? look great and sound on top form. Andy Cairns’ vocals are as visceral as ever. A quick switch into their version of the Joy Division classic Isolation throws the audience into an increased crazed frenzy. The three-piece (Michael McKeegan on bass and drummer Neil Cooper alongside Cairns) are on fire as they storm through the Troublegum album, not necessarily in order but still sounds great and relevant.

McKeegan bounces around the stage with a massive grin on his face, as they blast through Turn, Auto Surgery, then crowd favourite Trigger Inside with Cairns drowned out by the vocal crowd.

It's interesting how many of their songs are about mental health. It’s well documented that Cairns has battled with this for many years but his lyrics seem more relevant now with what seems like a national mental health crisis exploding all around us. Brainsaw, Die Laughing and Lunacy Booth all sit in this subject area. 

The set continues with some of my favourite Therapy? songs, including Opal Mantra, Die Laughing before Nowhere closes the main part of the set. The band is on fire tonight and as they return to the stage with a burning trio of Nausea, Meat Abstract and Accelerator. It’s no surprise given the fevered fan base that the crowd are singing every word, and the atmosphere is amazing. Everyone around me appears to have a massive grin on their face. 

As Cairns starts up Potato Junkie, the crowd erupts with ‘James Joyce is fucking my sister’. Halfway through, it’s announced that it’s Cooper’s birthday and as the rest of the band exit, he sets off on a drum solo which (and I’m not a fan of drum solos) is very entertaining. They lead back into the song with Iron Man and finish the song and go straight into the inevitable favourites of Teethgrinder, Knives and of course, Screamager. 

This is Therapy? at their best, as they prove once again that they are still one of the best live acts on the circuit.

Review and photos by John Caffrey