Live review: Neck Deep bring 'Life's Not Out to Get You' to Manchester Academy

Words by Laurent Swyngedauw

Ten years. A decade since Wrexham's Neck Deep released Life's Not Out to Get You, and if their sold-out show at Manchester Academy proved anything, it's that the album still hits just as hard. Every corner of the venue was filled with fans who knew every word by heart.

The evening was framed as a celebration in the form of a full playthrough of that pivotal debut record, and the stage setup reflected the occasion. A massive painted backdrop of the album artwork loomed behind the band, whilst strategically placed pyrotechnics sent flames shooting upward at key moments throughout the set.

As the lights dimmed and 'Citizens of Earth' kicked off the full album playthrough, it became clear that the crowd knew every word. From "Threat Level Midnight" through to deep cuts like "Serpents" and "The Beach Is for Lovers (Not Lonely Losers)," these old school fans sang every lyric back with the kind of passion that only comes from years of connection.

"We wanted to write something that people could go to when they felt down," frontman Ben Barlow told the crowd between songs, his voice carrying the weight of someone reflecting on a decade's worth of impact. It was a mission statement that clearly resonated with the audience.

Credit: Laurent Swyngedauw @ The Mancunion

The band leaned into the deep cuts, testing the room's dedication. "Let's see who the real Neck Deep fans are," Barlow challenged, before launching into tracks like 'Kali Ma'. The response was immediate and overwhelming, with the entire venue singing back every word, prompting a grin from the frontman. "We got some real ones in the room," he declared, the pride evident in his voice. Between songs, Barlow opened up about the album's origins, crediting Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember as a key collaborator in crafting the record. But perhaps the most poignant moment came when he spoke retrospectively about their roots in Wrexham. It isn't the most obvious launching pad for a globally successful pop-punk band, and Barlow didn't shy away from that reality.

"We shouldn't have made it, being where we're from," he admitted, before pivoting to a motivational message of resilience, pursuing dreams and pride: "be proud of where you're from." The sentiment led directly into 'Can't Kick Up the Roots', and when the lyrics hit—"Yeah, this place is such a shipwreck, but this shipwreck it is mine. Day by day, we grew to love this place"—the entire room seemed to understand that these weren't just words, but a philosophy the band had lived by.

The album portion of the set concluded with "December," which Barlow noted has "slowly become a Christmas song" over the years. Given the timing of the show in the midst of Manchester's festive atmosphere, it felt perfectly placed. The track, featuring blink-182's Mark Hoppus, has become one of their defining singles, and the crowd's reaction confirmed its status as a breakout moment in their catalogue.

Then came the shift. "Now the greatest hits setlist," Barlow announced as the backdrop transformed to more general Neck Deep branding. Opening with 'Motion Sickness', the band moved into 'What Did You Expect?', a track that Barlow identified as the very first song they wrote in a full-circle moment that carried its own emotional weight. 'Gold Steps', with its anthemic chorus, had the entire room jumping, whilst 'We Need More Bricks' and 'STFU' kept the energy levels maxed out. Notably, material from their 2020 album All Distortions Are Intentional was largely absent, the focus firmly on legacy tracks and fan favourites. Even the small details reflected the band's personality - like the guitarist's vintage wrestling tee, the kind that was everywhere when their generation was growing up.

The show closed with "In Bloom”. As the final notes rang out and the flames subsided, what lingered was the sense that this wasn't just a nostalgia trip. Life's Not Out to Get You has aged remarkably well, and more importantly, the band playing it has too. Neck Deep proved they're not resting on a decade-old album—they're building on it. For a band of underdogs from Wrexham who "shouldn't have made it", they've done more than survive. They've thrived, and Manchester was more than happy to celebrate that with them.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3umOBqXWR9VnJTQoe9Qkkj?si=qPzUZAnbQ0iF3HwGqvw4LQ