Tremonti w/ Florence Black – O2 Ritz Manchester: Live Review

By Dominic Walsh on 16th February 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Tremonti closes out the UK leg of their latest tour in support of The End Will Show Us How. We’re in Manchester and London to see the band. Support comes from Florence Black.

Words: Dominic Walsh – Manchester

Photos: Graham Hilling – London

A PACKED HOUSE

Manchester always shows up for gigs, when bands of this ilk roll through. Even before Florence Black hit the stage, the O2 Ritz is heaving. Merch queues snake around the venue, as people aim to snap up what is left of the merch after an early 2025 trip around Europe.

FLORENCE BLACK

Up first are Welsh trio, Florence Black. “Let’s go Manchester!” shouts vocalist and guitarist Tristan Thomas. A large portion of the crowd are clearly big fans of the Welsh trio, which makes sense with the size of the crowd. Throughout their thirty minute, seven song set, Florence Black are extremely clinical. Over the course of a couple of albums, they have clearly honed their hard rocking craft.

Start Again opens their set with a heavy piercing bass sound that rumbles the already bouncy floor at the O2 Ritz. This continues throughout without fail. It certainly makes the lungs vibrate. Thomas, and his ffrindiau, Jordan Evans (bass/vocals) and Perry Davies (drums), are a well oiled machine at this point in the tour.

They’re energetic throughout with Thomas raspy voice connecting at every turn. He encourages the crowd to get involved during the set and the Manchester crowd duly oblige. The Deep End sees some of the first solos of the evening and Look Up gives a bit of a Def Leppard in their pomp vibe. During Rockin’ Ring, the band do just that, facing each other as a trio in the middle of the stage. “I don’t know what it is about Manchester?” remarks Jordan Evans before the band close out with Sun & Moon. The ovation is great as the band get their obligatory picture with the crowd.

TREMONTI

And so, to Tremonti.

The End Will Show Us How (our review here) is the bands sixth full length player. It showcases the band at their hard rocking best. On this night, the band select a couple of numbers from the new album; It’s Not Over and Tomorrow We Will Fail. Perhaps it would have been nice to hear a few more from the new record but when you have the catalogue that Tremonti have, there is a lot to pick from.

With these songs dropped into the set, there is plenty of space for a good plunder of older songs. Wish You Well and Cauterize are the opening duo of tracks. The band fly out of the blocks emerging from the darkness of the stage that is flanked by the new album backdrop. Tremonti immediately encourages the crowd to get involved as they sing along with Cauterize.

That good feeling of crowd participation continues on a huge rendition of You Waste Your Time. What is nice about the lighting of this show, is that you can see the band. There is plenty of light so that fans can witness completely, the great musicianship of the band.

THE THINGS I’VE SEEN

Whilst the crowd are already familiar with the new material, the older tunes garner a massive response. Eric Friedman gives us a shreddy intro to The Things I’ve Seen after Tremonti talks of their three decade long friendship. If the crowd singalongs had already been big, this one brought out the Mancunian choir in full voice.

History is front and centre as Tremonti regales the crowd with how Throw Them To The Lions was shot in the very same room we are in now. Chances are, some of the people in attendance were present for that shoot.

Fan favourites continue to flow as Another Heart brings more rapture. As far as atmospheres go, this is one of the hottest around. Each and every person gets involved and marvels at the incredible work of each and every band member.

In a more introspective moment, Tremonti recounts how Flying Monkeys is about his younger, more angry self. “Hatred is not necessary,” he says, as an adult. Sage words. Musically, the doomier tone is deliciously dark. The main riff is one that would not be out of place in the hands of Mr. Iommi. Shifts in tempo give the song a real feel of grandeur.

DUST

Again taking the tempo down, Dust kicks off with people getting their phones out to light up the room. It’s a slower one with plenty of people arms aloft and around each other. In the solos, there is a different tone, timbre and tenderness. It’s really emotive stuff.

Catching Fire keeps up the mini ‘Dust’ set in the show. More razor sharp riffs and blistering bass rumble the foundations of the vintage building after a false start. The wonder of live music eh? My Last Mistake concludes the trio from Dust in thumping fashion. Still, the energy in the room ramps up, unrelenting.

Marching In Time sees the band joined by young guitar supremo Sophie Burrell. Her work has dazzled many. Getting the rub from players like Tremonti and Friedman shows the respect that she has as a guitarist. Her playing augments the epic track superbly and elevates everything that little bit higher. A Dying Machine, title track from the bands 2018 release closes out the show to round out a truly emphatic night of hard rock in Manchester.