London-based four-piece Keo played a secret free show on Thursday in Manchester’s incredible Projekts Skatepark venue, a place that is becoming increasingly popular in the rock scene. This gig was something I think I will struggle to really grasp the extent of in any length of writing ever; it was that good.
Originally thought to be just a music video, some 500 people showed up at a skatepark in the industrial end of Manchester, knowing nothing more than that these four lads from London would be there, and I can confidently say every one of those 500 left knowing they had witnessed something special. During the chaos, the initially speculated music video was captured. A live recording and music video for their newest single ‘Pistol’ was captured, surrounded by 500 of the most diehard fans. The 18+ event was only available to a set 500 sign-ups; once the spots were filled, there was no other way to get in, and those spots went fast.
The set itself was electric; it was raw and emotional front to back. Filled with all the songs you’d expect in a “festival” set, minus the bloated, half-interested festival crowd. It really felt like if you invited all your 500 friends to a festival and everyone was there for one band. Everything that happened throughout the set felt like it had its purpose; people stopping to watch on the street, fans scaling the fence outside to get the best view they could. It felt like something out of a time capsule, something that people will talk about for a long, long time, but that goes for most things this band do.
Keo’s recently announced debut album, ‘Put A Smile on For Me’, featured heavily in the set to begin with. ‘Be Happy’, ‘That’s Me’ and ‘Pistol’ succeeded the now-iconic opener in ‘Hands’, and despite these songs being newly released, or unreleased like ‘Be Happy’, fans were still singing every word back to the Keogh brothers, who struggled to hide their feelings on stage.
That seems to be the thing with every report you see on Keo: everyone knows every song, released or not. That is what makes these guys different; they aren’t going away anytime soon, backed by the most loyal of fanbases, and a label that knows the potential, Keo will be everywhere before you might realise.
The initial growth was led by the debut EP ‘Siren’, with songs like ‘Hands’, ‘I Lied, Amber’ and personal favourite ‘Thorn’ being the foundations of what is now the hottest property in music. All three remain ever-present on the setlist, and that was no different this day, with ‘Thorn’ feeling particularly special. ‘I Lied, Amber’ and ‘Thorn’ back-to-back is what pushed the crowd’s lungs to their limit; I’m certain the cars driving on the ring road above could hear us. These are the two Keo songs everybody there knows backwards and forwards, and soon everyone else will too.
An unusual inclusion to the set was ‘Only We Know’, which is unreleased and not on the track listing of the upcoming album, so many fans, including myself, had sadly written the track off as never being released. However, before playing it, Finn mentioned how “this one will be with you soon.” This has sparked rumours aplenty about a potential deluxe version of their upcoming album, something that has no official confirmation yet, but could include songs like ‘Crow’ and ‘Dancing Days’, as well as ‘Only We Know’. The set was finally rounded out by the intense ‘Black Dress’, also on the upcoming album, before the band walked off stage, serenaded by chants of their own surname for Finn and Conor.
Sadly, crowds seem incapable of being normal at gigs these days, as after the boys went back to their greenroom, a fan slid down into the bowl they had played in and stole a good 20 drumsticks off the drum set. Behaviour like this needs to be called out because it cannot become the norm. Keo at Projekts Manchester was a once-in-a-lifetime gig that everyone wishes their favourite band would do. But behaviour like this is why your favourite band is hesitant to do so.
If you somehow don’t know Keo, get to know.
