“Only At a F*cking Broco Show Would You See Cookie Monster Crowd Surfing!” - Don Broco - Portsmouth - Gig Review - By The Fans Magazine

Words & Review: Grace Wearn

Photography Credit: Grace Wearn

Music is incredibly powerful. It brings people from different cultures and countries together in one room, united with the same shared love, creating a safe space and that sense of community that extends beyond the gig venue.

Ando San

First up, we had Ando San, all the way from LA and it was their first time in the UK, supporting Don Broco on their UK tour. Self-described as ‘Prog Hop’, their sound uniquely blends Heavy Metal with Hip Hop in a way that makes it their own - and it was incredibly good.

Their set was full of wholesome fun, and it was just as nice to watch the band enjoying themselves genuinely as it was to experience their music. Ando San mentioned how they were playing to a new crowd every night, which does beg the curiosity of how differently audiences react to the same music across different cities, countries and cultures, even within the same tour.

It was super special being in a room where not only were some of the audience experiencing Ando San for the first time, all whilst the band themselves were experiencing English crowds for the first time, in each city. As the band described it, it was “quite a journey”, and I felt privileged to be part of that experience.

The Portsmouth show was even more special as it fell on Ando’s first anniversary - and his wife was there to cheer him on, right in the front row. Happy belated anniversary to you both and I hope the UK treated you all well!

When Ando San’s “Big Dawg” was introduced , the crowd responded with a particularly loud reaction, followed hand in hand with lots of dancing - from both Ando San and the audience, feeding off each-others energy.

Unpeople

Next up, we had the pleasure of watching Unpeople. Needless to say, they were also incredible - with a highlight being their bassist Em having shredded throughout their entire set.

There were already an amazing turnout of fans who already knew the band’s discography, particularly along the front row, and the energy you felt from the crowd alone - was unmatched.

It was definitely one of those sets where the crowd gave as much back to the band as they received, throughout the entire set.

And then; lo and behold, this was the point-where the Cookie Monster crowd surfer made his first appearance.

Then came Don Broco.

Broco always deliver an incredible live show - chaotic, energetic and full of the kind of wholesome fun that makes their gigs memorable.

Beyond the chaos, their gigs continuously grant the important reminder of how important safe spaces are, especially in live music venues.

As they reminded the crowd at their Finsbury Park set back in the summer “if you see someone fall in the pit, you f*cking pick them up!”. It’s an uncomplicated message, but honestly that quote captures so much of what live music should be about: looking out for each-other, making space for everyone, and ensuring that community in the crowd and beyond is as important as the band playing on stage.

Broco’s energy is infectious that even myself working in the photo pit becomes a workout in itself. I essentially relayed from one side of the pit to the other as lead singer Rob made full use of the stage. Keeping up was almost a workout but an incredibly fun one at that.

Another highlight for me was looking around the photo pit and realising that, aside from the bands photographer, the creatives working there were all women. It’s always amazing to see other female creatives represented in spaces where it hasn’t been historically the norm. Whilst there’s still a long way to go when it comes to diversity and representation within the industry, it’s encouraging to see these spaces gradually becoming more inclusive.

And then, once again, came the Cookie Monster crowd-surfer.

Only at a f*cking Broco show would you see Cookie Monster crowd surfing!

It was also great to see the setlist balance newer tracks from their latest album Nightmare Tripping with fan-favourites. Giving the crowd a mix of fresh material and songs that have become a huge part of the band’s identity.

All in all, it was an incredible night. Discovering new music intertwined with the known chaos of Broco gigs and wholesome community.

Thank you so much to Jenny & Harry at Chuff Media for having us.