By Desh Kapur, Rock At Night Manchester

Venue: The Albert Hall, Manchester-March 8, 2019-EMBRACE–The Good Will Out 21st Anniversary Tour

Embrace have been around for more than three decades. Formed in Balif Bridge, Huddersfield, they have released seven studio albums, three reaching Number 1 in the UK charts and all of them entering the top 10.

And here we are at The Albert Hall in Manchester celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the release of their first album on the “The Good Will Out Tour”

So it begins. The band walks on stage, looking very relaxed and a little blown away by the roar from the sold-out Albert Hall crowd. This band really is loved.

And tonight it’s one big sing-along, right the way through from the first notes of “All You Good Good People” to the last notes of “The Good Will Out” and the all songs in between from their first album. These songs are truly loved.

The interaction with the audience is relaxed and friendly, just like old mates having a party and do you know what, I think that’s exactly what it was.

I sometimes wonder if Embrace didn’t get the critical accolades they deserved. They are a very, very good band that have written some of the most iconic songs of the nineties. Danny McNamara’s vocals are very underrated; sometimes he has a vulnerability to his voice, which is quite special.

Embrace are one of the true great bands to emerge from the nineties. The songs have stood the test of time and the band is still making relevant music 30 years on.

So the love-in came to an end and Embrace came back on for the obligatory encore of some of the classic tracks from three other albums, and everyone left happy and content. As for me, I went home and ordered the album on vinyl, to add to my collection.