The setlist incorporated the entire Bound to Break album track list with a few other fan favourites that could not be missed, and one incredible mashup with new song ‘Almost’  that literally changed the air in the room. I won’t spoil what it is - to find out, you’re just going to have to get tickets for the tour - see below - but it’s certainly a moment that’ll stick with you right from the opening beats of Poppy’s lead vocal on ‘Almost’ to Vicki closing the song out and every moment of harmony in between. It’s a moment that showcases to maybe newer fans, what those of us who already loved them already knew: that there are so many more facets to this band’s artistry than perhaps the broader, radio friendly party tracks such as ‘Primadonna,’ ‘Jump’ and ‘Out of Your Mind’ that are possibly more recognisable to casual country music crowds.

  

Bound to Break showcases that beautifully: for me personally, the stand-out tracks are ‘Before the Wind Changes,’ ‘Do You Remember?’ and the above-mentioned ‘Almost’ because I’m a sucker for heartbreak country music, but you need both the light and the dark to make a truly great album and Bound to Break has that in abundance. In the case of ‘Do You Remember?’ you get that all within one song because the juxtaposition between the groovy, foot-tapping melody and truly heartbreaking tone of the lyrics is a songwriting masterclass. It’s a statement that for as fun as this band are – and damn, they are fun – there’s also an incredible depth, honesty and maturity to their music. And when you combine those elements with these four artists, you get something truly special.

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So you can rest assured that once they’ve smashed your heart to pieces with the heartbreak tracks, they’ll pick you right back up with songs like ‘Walk the Line,’ ‘Out of Your Mind’ and ‘Primadonna,’ which opens the show and sets the tone for an incredible evening of music.

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What’s next for First Time Flyers? I’m not sure – it’s a question I hope to ask them if I get chance to chat to them about this album / tour in the coming weeks – particularly as there’s definitely some Taylor Swift-level easter egging going on in the CD book. ​

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For anyone who’s bought the CD and hasn’t read it, give it a look and if you crack whatever code is going on in there – drop us a message because our team here at Southbound couldn’t figure it out and two of us are hardcore Swifties and should be better at this. Unfortunately we – unlike Poppy who we suspect is the mastermind of this – never worked at MI5, so codebreaking is not in our skillsets. Either way, it’s another testament to not only how much fun the band is, but also how much they love to engage with their fans, and that is a vibe that was felt by everyone in attendance in Manchester last night and will, undoubtedly, be present in every show of this tour, so my advice: if you already have tickets, start getting excited now, and if you don’t – get some because this is an incredible show, and while you’re there – grab a CD or vinyl and help them chart because, in my opinion, they’re setting the standard for what British country music should be and Bound to Break is an album, and tour, that deserves to be successful.