It has been seven years since Californian five-piece The Neighbourhood last performed in London, let alone the UK, and a lot has changed since then. The group, comprising Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels, Brandon Fried, Jeremy Freedman and Mikey Margott, were due to headline Alexandra Palace in March 2020, but the gig was postponed to November that year and ultimately cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. Despite some challenges over the last couple of years, the group reemerged in its most confident iteration yet following the release of their fifth studio album (((((ultraSOUND))))) late last year.
Generally, this version of the band is far more ambitious, and rightly so. It comes after 14 years of hard work, where they’ve continually captured the hearts and minds of fans across the globe thanks to their mix of cinematic, melancholic alt-rock. With their growing mainstream profile–boosted by TikTok success–the band are now playing bigger venues than ever before. Having played headline shows at The Roundhouse and Brixton Academy before, it’s easy to wonder if they could pull off performing to 20,000 people at their sold-out The O2 show last night.
However, not only did The Neighbourhood mark their UK live comeback triumphantly, but they also proved they can command an arena stage. It’s all thanks to a polished production which hit all the right marks. Coming onto the stage at 9pm, following a Siri-like voice called Iris introducing the show, the band opened with the 90s-rock inspired ‘Hula Girl’ from their latest record. The LA band followed it up with another (((((ultraSOUND))))) single called ‘OMG’ before sending fans into a frenzy with ‘Cry Baby’ off their 2015 magnum opus, Wiped Out!
Frontman Rutherford then finally addressed the crowd for the first time, acknowledging how long it’s been. He said: “What’s up, how are you guys doing, it’s been a minute, yo!” It was this mix of fan favourites and newer songs which kept the momentum going on the night. From their expanded 2013 LP, I Love You, the five-piece performed beloved tracks such as ‘Afraid’, ‘Wires’ and ‘A Little Death’, with mass sing-alongs ensuing. From their sophomore release, Wiped Out!, you could find the incredible ‘RIP 2 My Youth’ where phone lights illuminated the O2, ‘Daddy Issues’ and ‘Baby Came Home 2’. You could also find songs from their 2018 self-titled LP, such as ‘Reflections’ and ‘Void’.
As a frontman, Rutherford does the energetic heavy lifting throughout the set, consistently engaging with the crowd at different points. He said, “London, how are we feeling? Thank y’all so much for being here tonight, let’s wake up a little bit”. Thanks to the invaluable and tight instrumental work from Abels, Freedman, Fried, and Margott, they keep Rutherford buoyant throughout the set.
As the UK never experienced the Chipchrome and The Monotones era, it was a thrill to hear ‘Devil’s Advocate’ with flames, alongside other tracks such as ‘Pretty Boy’ and ‘Stargazing’ with pyrotechnics. Still, as with any band boasting a deep catalogue, there were inevitable omissions from all of the eras, such as ‘Lost In Translation’, ‘Float’, and ‘Stuck With Me’.
During the encore, the band finished with mega hit ‘Sweater Weather’, followed by TikTok favourite, ‘Softcore’. After thanking the crowd, the band walked off to ‘Red Flag’ as Rutherford went down to greet fans at the barrier.
The Neighbourhood is a band with a multi-generational reach, and it’s a delight to see new and old fans alike enjoying the show.
As they continue to ascend to even dizzier heights, it’s clear to see that some past production values may not return, such as the chain mic swinging or Rutherford’s crowd diving. But that’s the trade-off that comes with becoming one of the biggest alternative bands of the digital age.
