You never forget your first gig. For me, it was Thirty Seconds to Mars, at the G-Mex (as it was known then). At just 14-years-old, journeying into town chaperoned by two long-suffering parents on the train, it was an experience like no other.
The bright lights, the booming base, the sticky floor. It kick-started a love for live music. READ MORE: First look behind the scenes at Parklife 2024 as Heaton Park prepares to welcome tens of thousands of festival-goers And now, almost 15 years later, it’s nostalgia galore as the American band are back after six years as they played Manchester’s AO Arena.
The band, fronted by Jared Leto alongside brother Shannon, was formed as a side project from Leto’s Hollywood career. Yet, it had grown from strength to strength, with arena-selling albums and masses of fans around the world. A countdown began the night, counting back from 100.
At bang on thirty seconds the clock stopped. Jared Leto, Thirty Seconds to Mars (Image: Kenny Brown) Screams from the back of the arena reached a deafening crescendo as Leto made his way through the selfie takers and giddy fans as Do or Die boomed out. It was a strong start, and already showed Leto’s incredible ability to control the crowd There’s one thing a Manchester crowd is good at - a singalong.
And they had more than one opportunity to showcase their vocals throughout the night. The heavier songs from the band’s earlier albums such as A Beautiful Lie or From Yesterday proved more popular with.
