I still remember being 13, lying on my bedroom floor with my portable CD player, Sticks and Stones spinning, silently praying the batteries wouldn’t die before My Friends Over You kicked in. Never in a million years would that teenage girl have believed that, 23 years later, she’d be in the photo pit, capturing one of the bands that soundtracked her formative years.
October 17th marked my first time at O2 Academy Bournemouth and what a venue. With its old theatre charm and intimate layout, it’s a surprisingly pretty setting for a night of sweaty singalongs and high-energy chaos. I met up with a couple of photography friends from along the south coast, and we were all geared up for an evening of pop punk, nostalgia, and as expected some seriously tricky lighting.
New Found Glory delivered exactly what we came for: a career-spanning set packed with hits from their self-titled debut, Sticks and Stones, and a few teasers from their upcoming album. But before they took the stage, the night kicked off with a band that’s quickly making waves on this side of the Atlantic.
Opening with an intense burst of energy, New York’s Koyo wasted no time grabbing the crowd’s attention. Having discovered them last year, this was my first time seeing them live and they didn’t disappoint. They hit hard with a mix of tracks from their debut album Would You Miss It? and their EP Drives Out East. With emotionally raw lyrics layered over melodic hardcore riffs, Koyo’s stage presence was tight but full of passion. By the time they launched into fan favourite Mile a Minute to close out their set, the floor was a blur of limbs and movement.
Koyo
Next up were a band I’ve heard a lot of good things about: Real Friends, who brought a wave of emo-infused pop punk that had the crowd belting out every word. Their set struck the perfect balance between heartfelt and high-energy, with lyrics that clearly resonated throughout the room.
Once the final notes of the first song rang out, frontman Cody Muraro leaned right into the chaos, literally. After getting up close and personal with the front row, he launched himself over the barrier for a crowd surf that sent the room into a frenzy. Not content with just that, he later carved out his own pit in the middle of the floor, surrounded by fans who lit up the moment with their phone torches as he sang through the crowd, face-to-face with the people who so clearly love this band. It was one of those moments that makes live music feel intimate, spontaneous, and full of heart. Real Friends didn’t just warm the stage for New Found Glory, they owned their time on it!
Real Friends
Finally, it was time for the main event and the moment so many of us had been waiting for. From the very first note of Something I Call Personality, the room erupted. Crowd surfing started instantly, and by the time that opening line hit, I was transported straight back to my teenage years. Judging by the volume of the crowd singing every word back to the band, I wasn’t the only one.
New Found Glory came out swinging, delivering a high-octane set that spanned their decades long career. With guitarist Chad Gilbert still recovering from ongoing treatment and unable to join the tour, the band were backed by Dan O’Connor from Four Year Strong and Dave Knox of Real Friends, both stepping in on guitar duties and bringing a fresh burst of energy to the stage.
From early favourites off their self-titled debut and Sticks and Stones, to brand new tracks from their forthcoming album, the band barely gave the crowd a moment to breathe and no one wanted them to. It was all sweat, smiles, and sore throats from screaming along.
There’s something about seeing a band like NFG live, years after first falling in love with their records, that hits differently. It’s not just nostalgia, it’s connection, and Bournemouth brought it in full force.
New Found Glory
Of course, no NFG set would be complete without a nod to their now iconic pop punk covers. Their take on Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer had the room swaying, but it was their euphoric, absolutely unhinged version of Let It Go from Frozen that truly sent the place over the edge. It was surreal and brilliant: a room full of adults who came for the pop punk, but stayed for the Disney. A confetti-blasted, scream-your-heart-out moment that summed up the night perfectly fun, unexpected, and unforgettable.
By the end of the night, it was a perfect reminder that, even after all these years, New Found Glory still knows how to bring people together through the power of pop punk and nostalgia.
