Blue October - Albert Hall, Manchester 05.06.2026

I suppose I should start by saying that Blue October truly mean the world to me. Like many if not all of the fans that the band have accumilated over the years, I owe them a lot. They have been there with me through some of the hardest moments of my life but also some of the happiest. They have very much become a soundtrack for my life.

You see Blue October to so many is so much more than a band, think instead of a family. A family united as one through the beautiful soundscape of a band that wear their hearts on their sleeve. More specifically the heart of the man himself, Justin Furstenfeld. Justin has built the band from the ground up and worked hard over the years to win the hearts of many. With his deeply personal yet ever so relatable lyrics he and the rest of the band have continued to deliver quality album after quality album all whilst dealing with addiction, public break downs, divorce and a custody battle all of which have been on a very open and public forum.

And for many their first real introduction came in the form of 'Foiled', arguably the album that put them on the map and a release that this year is celebrating its 20th Anniversary.

And so we arrive at tonight, where to celebrate this anniversary the band are playing the album in full beginning to end (with a hidden bonus track just for good measure). The atmosphere is buzzing in Manchester's Albert Hall and the energy doesn't drop all evening.

So for me I'm torn on how to put into words how the evening itself plays out. Because from the moment the band step out and Justin bursts into 'You Make Me Smile' I am awash in an erray of emotions so raw that the whole evening felt like a fever dream.

In the pit whilst shooting I sung my heart out, almost forgetting what I was there to actually do. At one point Justin knelt down on the stage to my level and shook my hand. A moment, a sense of acknowledgment that will live with me forever. I have championed this band for years and Justin is very much a hero of mine.

After my 3 songs in the pit, 'You Make Me Smile', 'She's My Ride Home' and 'Into The Ocean', I am ready to retire my camera and enjoy the rest of the show but I am told that I am free to shoot the remainder of the show from the crowd. A rarity indeed within our profession. So I stationed myself on the balcony and I just take it all in. 'Hate Me', 'Let It Go' and 'Congratulations' three of my personal favourites fly by, the audience along with myself singing along to every word.

The conversation between songs is minimal but it doesn't take anything away. Justin like a tattooed general commands the stage and his admirers with ease. Tonight marks the 5th time I have seen the band live and honestly Justin has never sounded better. The band as a whole are tight and most importantly look like they're enjoying every second on the stage.

With 'Foiled' wrapped up, we are hit with essentially a 9 song encore that included more of my favourites in 'Picking up Pieces', 'Home', 'I Hope You're Happy' and 'Fear'. A song which I hold dear and for the first time in over 10 years of shooting shows, I find myself having to set my camera aside and just let the wave of emotions take me over. And there I stand in a packed out, sweaty Albert Hall, bawling my eyes out. And that is what Blue October mean to me and I'm sure to everyone else in attendance tonight, on this tour, at every show.

Blue October are the soundtrack to my life. A song for every moment, a lyric for every emotion. And I will be forever thankful I got to share in the history of 'Foiled' this evening.

Probably not the most comprehensive review but this is one of those really rare circumstances that I feel unless you were there, words on a page won't do the night justice. Instead for the better part I hope my images can do a lot of the talking for me.

Blue October

Photos & Review - Friswell Photography