Co-op Live – Manchester 30/01/25
The nostalgia-laden festivities take place tonight at the Co-op Manchester, a new venue to me and to the world in general, having only opened late last year after some issues prevented heavyweights like Olivia Rodrigo and Peter Kay from performing. Driving up to the venue, it’s easy to see how it claimed the title of the largest indoor arena in the country—bathed in blue lights, calling to the large metalhead crowds gathering outside. Speaking of metalhead crowds, I can’t recall the last time I saw this many black-clad fans outside of a festival, but the pull these two bands have on an entire generation is undeniable.
When Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium announced this album anniversary tour—celebrating 20 years of their biggest (and, in my opinion, best) albums, The Poison and Ascendancy — many, including myself, were sceptical. While both bands hold strong nostalgic value for millennials who grew up with them in the mid-2000s, it was hard to predict whether they could fill arenas on this scale. Yet, as I made my way from the car park and joined the enormous queue to enter, I had to eat my words. In fact, I had to eat them long before tonight, as the show sold out quickly upon release—a fact made evident by the sheer size of the crowd. Making my way inside and past the impressive food and drink selections, I entered the absurdly large standing area and nestled myself front-right, ready for whatever the night had in store. Due to the long queues and the general busyness of the venue, by the time I was settled, Swedish metal outfit Orbit Culture—tonight’s openers—were already working through their short but powerful set. I wasn’t too familiar with the band beforehand, having only heard their name mentioned in death metal circles, but they absolutely won me over. Being the heaviest band of the night, winning over a still-growing crowd was no small feat, but they delivered, tearing through their set with intensity and earning a solid response from the audience.
But now, it was time for the main event. The two headliners had announced they would be alternating closing duties each night, and for Manchester, Trivium was set to close, meaning Bullet For My Valentine was up next—an odd choice in my mind, but again, I would soon be proven wrong. As the arena filled to capacity, the lights went out, and three massive screens at the back of the stage lit up, playing a video montage of Bullet’s history. The clip seamlessly transitioned into the hauntingly beautiful intro to The Poison, featuring classical metal band Apocalyptica, but this was soon drowned out by thunderous applause as the band finally took the stage.
And what an entrance it was! Launching into album opener Her Voice Resides, the crowd erupted—circle pits forming instantly as Bullet tore into the set with all members in top form. The energy remained high as they powered through some of their biggest hits, with 4 Words (To Choke Upon) igniting a frenzy and Tears Don’t Fall prompting one of the loudest singalongs of the night. The momentum carried through to the mid-set highlight, All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me), which frontman Matt Tuck introduced as “the other song that made all of this possible.” The band executed it with all the fury and precision expected from seasoned veterans of the genre. However, this brings me to my only critique of the night—a somewhat personal one, but one I believe was shared by many in the crowd. The Poison is, in my opinion, a very front-loaded album. While the latter half contains solid tracks filled with impressive screams and solos, they simply don’t pack the same punch as the first half. This became apparent as the crowd’s energy noticeably waned, transitioning from absolute chaos to more reserved headbanging.
This lull lasted until the end of the set, when Bullet returned for a brief encore—first with Knives, and then with Waking the Demon, which reignited the insanity of the early set. With that, Matt Tuck thanked the crowd, and Bullet was done for the night. While the set had its slower moments, it was impossible to ignore how incredible the high points were and just how on fire the band had been throughout.
Next up was the mighty Trivium, and they had a tough act to follow. The crowd swelled even more during the agonizing 40-minute wait between sets, as a full stage and gear swap took place. Finally, Metallica’s Hit The Lights blared through the arena—the song Trivium has long used as their walk-on music. As the final line, “Hit the lights!” rang out, the arena plunged into darkness, and a deafening roar erupted. A video played on the screens, featuring The End of Everything and showcasing the Ascendancy demon—a figurehead for the band at this point—before being drowned out by cheers as the band took the stage.
Trivium’s frontman, Matt Heafy, wasted no time, stepping to the very front and launching into the opening words of Rain. The entire floor erupted into chaos—this time, a sustained chaos that would last the entire set. The band sounded better than ever, and this became evident during Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr, a personal favourite of mine, delivered with crushing intensity. Each song added more fuel to the fire, with Ascendancy and A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation sparking some of the night’s largest circle pits, further encouraged by Heafy’s relentless crowd interaction.
Unlike Bullet, Trivium’s momentum never faltered—the crowd remained engaged from start to finish. A brief respite came in the form of a drum solo, during which a massive inflatable demon was unveiled at the back of the stage, earning huge applause. Heafy then removed his shirt, revealing his tattoo-covered torso, before launching into The Deceived and Suffocating Sight. He took a moment to speak to the crowd, delivering a heartfelt speech before Departure, a song that moved many to tears, with phone lights creating a stunning visual in the seated areas.
The softness was short-lived, as the band put on an absolute clinic with album closer Declaration, before wrapping up the night with an off-album encore—In Waves. As Heafy bellowed, “This is your last chance to show us what you can do,” the floor exploded one final time, opening the biggest pits of the night. Then, just like that, it was over. The band left the stage to thunderous applause, and once again, I was forced to eat my words—Trivium had more than earned their place as headliners of a show this size.
As I made my way out of the massive venue, fully satisfied with everything I’d seen, I couldn’t help but smile. The bands I grew up with aren’t going anywhere anytime soon—and after tonight, that’s more evident than ever.
