Senses Bring Summer Vibes To A Wet & Windy Manchester
photo by Craig McInnes
November 14, 2025 - Manchester, England
It’s always nice to see bands make their UK debut on any tour; for LA-based Senses, their debut came in the way of supporting pop punk icons The Summer Set on what happened to be their 13th full-scale UK tour. Senses have been a band I have kept close tabs on in recent years ever since their 2022 single Sleepwalking was a regular on my on repeat. The sight of their name on this bill was an instant selling point and a gig that would not be missed. They rolled in to Manchester Gorilla for what was set to be a cosy evening.
Despite Manchester’s typical torrential downpour, it did not stop the fans from flooding through the venue doors to get the room packed nice and early. The 6 o’clock start was a welcome bonus, we’re elder emos, of course we need an early bedtime. The stage-wide Senses logo lit up the room, and it was finally showtime.
photo by Craig McInnes
photo by Craig McInnes
Wasting absolutely no time, they get the party started, kicking things off with the new and the old with one of the singles that got this year moving with Diamonds On Your Dagger before jumping straight into Gonna Make Sure. Even with this being the first time in the UK, fans came in their numbers for this one, raising the atmosphere, singing every word back with sheer love and admiration.
I have only ever watched live videos of Senses before this show, and I always got the fun vibe they gave off even through a screen, but to have that in front of me in a live setting exceeded everything I hoped for and more - the sheer force of Nick on drums was captivating to watch; 3 people on stage, and all eyes were on his skills behind the kit, and that’s before we even discuss the dominance vocalist Maddison has on stage, controlling not only the stage but the entire room with the power of her vocals and overall presence as she works the room effortlessly.
The set is jammed full of the very best this band has to offer, spanning over 6 years of incredible music - there is one song that does top their listened-to tracks on Spotify, and it’s not even by them. Their cover of Chapel Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe” is well listened to and a very ‘emo friendly’ take on the iconic anthem. It was certainly something everyone in the room was fully on board with singing back. On either side of that, we had the different vibes of You And I bringing a slower feel to the set as Maddison brings out the acoustic for this, one showing the incredible levels of her vocals - from the slow dance to the groovy moves of Skin getting the crowd active again.
photo by Craig McInnes
photo by Craig McInnes
Sticking with their recently released EP that landed last month, Onto Something was next on the setlist before keeping the high energy up for set closers Sleepwalking and Better Than This with the nice addition of some slay headbanging from Maddison rounding off things in style.
It was a set that I feel like I waited a lifetime for but something that was worth the wait - Senses have shown there’s a permanent place for them on the UK stages, whether it be support or headline. The passion that is injected into their performance is infectious and instantly spreads to a room of fans and newbies, making their live show an experience. There is certainly a bright future for the LA duo, and I can’t wait for the journey.
photo by Craig McInnes