All The Young

Manchester Academy 3 //Friday 11th November 2022

“We are All The Young, said we are All The Young” – a Moshmag review by Stanley D Kippax // Photography by David Dillon

The first time I saw All the Young was in 2012 after a football game in Manchester. The group I attend games with are big fans and they took me along to Night and Day, promising to sneak me having grown sick of me intentionally calling them All the Young Dudes. As it turned out there was no need for any stealth work, all that was required was a quick chat with the band and I was on the guest list (cheers lads, it’s not been forgotten).

Fast forward ten years and after a somewhat irregular tour schedule All the Young are back in Manchester, this time at Academy 3. For the uninitiated Academy 2, Academy 3 and Club Academy share a foyer and ticket booth. Time it right and it’s a heady mix of fashions, trends and styles. There was a metal night on in Club Academy and also in Academy 2, and then there was All The Young.

Black leather, ripped tights and chains punctuated by terrace wear; Adidas Originals, Cagoules and more haircuts than Paul Pogba (I’ll be honest this won’t be the last football reference). The scenes were worlds apart but there was another striking difference…age.

The venue was busy if not 100% full and it quickly became apparent that a hardcore of fans had travelled from all over the country, All the Young (a) if you will. Ryan Dooley in his trademark sunglasses, Bassist Arron Darlington donning an All the Young branded bucket hat; available at all official All the Young merchandisers…I imagine, the band set about making up for lost time.

ATY are one of those bands that should by rights list the crowd as a backing vocal. It’s one of the pleasures of attending bands with a loyal cult following. Every single word of the old classics is recited back whilst the newer songs are carefully enjoyed. The audience are participating one way or another.

Then midway through the set it began “WE ARE ALL THE YOUNG, WE ARE ALL THE YOUNG”. The band revelled in it, Dooley conducting events on stage, and I was briefly transported back ten years ago to 2012. It’s fair to say this last decade has been somewhat disruptive but whilst ATY and their avid following might be at the tail end of young, they’re not in All the Middle-Aged territory just yet either. Though disappointingly in making that joke I’ve sacrificed myself over to Middle-Agedness. Let’s call it a Catch 32 situation.

In 2012 it seemed purely a matter of time before ATY took their rightful place at the top table of UK Indie. But life doesn’t run smooth, and situations change. Finally though, with live music is back, a settled line up, and a die-hard support that never went away ATY can give it another crack and if for nothing else other than the generosity they showed me in 2012 I hope achieve it. In the mean they’ll keep delighting those in the know.

Check out our full gallery below (Click on images to view full size).