Live Review: Taking Back Sunday – UK Tour 2024 – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

Taking Back Sunday returned to the UK, for a short 3-day stint across the UK. With the show’s set to celebrate both their latest album, and their older discography, we just had to head down to check it out. Here’s what went down.

Those who arrived early had the pleasure of experiencing the mega sound of the Himalayas. The Welsh rockers left a lasting impression on the Taking Back Sunday fans, invoking lots of movement from the crowd throughout their set. Their moreish sound reverberated around the walls of the Forum as they laid down their brief yet impactful set. While I wished for a more extended performance from them tonight, the anticipation for their forthcoming headline tour promises another opportunity to indulge in their compelling music soon.

As soon as Taking Back Sunday adorned the stage at the Forum, the auditorium of the 1930s building burst into huge cheers, welcoming the band back to London for the first time in two years. The crowd immediately turned from cheers to a chorus backing the band as they played their first song ‘S’Old’.

The night saw the band play a setlist that would span their almost 25-year-long career, celebrating both new and old whilst Adam Lazzara would keep the crowd entertained with banter between songs. Fan favourites such as ‘A Decade Under the Influence’ and ‘Liar (It Takes One to Know One)’ went down well, letting the crowd let loose, whilst newer tracks seemed to garner just as big of a reaction from the crowd – a fact that was compounded by the cheers for ‘152’ after Lazzara mentioned it.

While the band might be becoming among some of the oldest in the scene, it’s clear that they’re not done with yet, giving every ounce of energy they could over the course of the hour-and-a-half set. The set finished on a high with ‘Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)’ and ‘MakeDamnSure’. The love for these songs could truly be felt in the air, as the audience sang with everything they could muster.