The Courteeners are one of the most unique bands of the past few years. Not because of their sound, their look or their personas but because of their fan base. An unquestionable following of devoted and passionate individuals who follow the band up and down the country. Don’t get me wrong, The Courteeners are relatively well known, however, one wouldn’t suggest they were up there in terms of fame with the likes of Oasis or The Stone Roses. I feel as though The Courteeners and especially Liam Fray are different though. Other big Manchester bands seemed to be the pride of the country, but you feel like Courteeners belong to Manchester. It’s not a massive thing if you meet Liam Fray, he just seems like someone you know, a local lad with a love of music and down to Earth. It still didn’t come as a surprise to me though when news came through that they had sold out Heaton Park in a matter of minutes but does this put them in the same category as bands such as Oasis or The Stone Roses? Does this make them Manchester legends? Well Liam Fray thinks it’s just the start and this gig (their first “big one” in his own words) will not be the last.

The support acts were well received, but there seemed to be a wave of anticipation and almost relief as soon as Peace had finished their set. Being in the middle of this mass of people meant I struggled to see the stage, however, there was no doubt as to when the band had made their entrance to what was soon to become mayhem. With the first few strums of his guitar as the band opened with Notion’, I found myself at least 20 feet closer than I had started and significantly less comfortable. There seemed also to be an overwhelming sense of community within the crowd, with hints of consideration as fallen fans were helped back to their feet only to get the next few lyrics of the song screamed in their face instead of some sort of recognition of the help they’d provided.

A few songs in, and I was really beginning to understand how unique this experience would be. The crowd wasn’t tiring, if anything they were spurred on by the cocky energy and arrogance given off by Liam and the boys. As it was then, I felt the best thing to do to get a real understanding of the event was to take more of a back seat for a while. With a new vantage point, one quote I’d seen before the evening came to mind, which was along the lines of “Anyone caught with flares will be ejected”. This says wonders about the smuggling skills of these Courteeners fans, as I looked out over a glowing sea of red smoke and bucket hats, you could see how much this meant to these people.

The fans in attendance matched an absolutely flawless performance by the band from start to finish. Never before have I seen such devotion and consistency in the energy of one body of people, so much so, I remember little of the music itself, only that everyone there knew all of the lyrics. A spectacle I doubt I’ll never experience again, this was their first big one, this was their Maine Road, their Spike Island. A truly unique show by a completely unique band.