ALT BLK ERA at Deaf Institute Manchester 27-05-26

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Just over a year after their Rave Immortal tour, ALT BLK ERA returned to Deaf Institute in Manchester for their Our World UK tour, coinciding with the release of their latest EP of the same name, but this time in a bigger room that sold out once again. They were joined by Manchester alt-rock band PAVÉ and Liverpool emo hyperpop artist MARiMARi.

Japanese-British artist MARiMARi opened the night, blending influences of pop, emo, and J-pop to create a truly unique experience. We were treated to songs from her latest album MARi GO ROUND, including G FORCE, Lara’s Boyfriend, and the catchy POP SHUVIT!. Each song, while having similar electronic, bouncy pop undertones, had its own stand-out elements, giving each song its own identity. Friend and co-artist Jack Mitchell joined her to perform their cover of Good Time by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepson, infused with their own blend of hyperpop goodness. They will both be performing at the venue later this year for her MARi GO ROUND UK tour.

Now the audience was more warmed up, it was time for PAVÉ to take to the stage, and without much prompting from the band, the crowd provided pits from the start of their set to the finish. The chaos even resulted in a fan losing their shoe halfway across the pit. It may have been a supporting slot, but the band always perform like headliners, and as this is a hometown show for the band, plenty of their fans came out in support. The band’s chemistry shone through in their performance, interacting with eachother as well as engaging with the crowd. They rounded off their set on a high with Whatever The Cost and CROWDED ISOLATION.

‘Our World is not just ours, it’s yours too,’ explains Nyrobi of ALT BLK ERA. The sisters got involved with the audience from the get go, making their way into the crowd to perform the title track of the album, before heading back onto the stage to play My Drummer’s Girlfriend. We got to hear each new song from the new EP spread out through the setlist, dotted amongst popular songs from the Rave Immortal album. It’s evident they have truly come into their own unique signature sound as they’ve moved through each release, blending the likes of metal, electronica and drum and bass. As well as taking inspiration from their own life experiences, such as dealing with chronic illness’.

The duo know how to put on an incredible show, encouraging the crowd and keeping the energy in the room at a constant high throughout, even during the songs you’d expect to be somewhat calmer like Straight To Heart, the crowd were still jumping and shouting the lyrics back, even more so during the more energetic songs. This just shows the impact Chaya and Nyrobi are having within alternative music spaces, exuding confidence which translates to the crowd and keeps them excited, wanting more from what the band have to offer and giving just as much back to the band.

To close out the set we get a run of fan favourites including Upstairs Neighbours, I’m Normally Like This and Run Rabbit, a song which they teased earlier in the set but saved until last. ALT BLK ERA are a band that truly cares about their fan’s experience at the shows, having handmade bracelets available at the merch table, decorated with lyrics and song names, alongside the usual tshirts and CDs you would expect to see, and they even made a point of asking everyone to come to the merch table after the show so they could meet them all individually.