![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/35\/590x\/secondary\/the-used-5110665.jpg?r=1702386654493\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been an emo band for 23 years,\u201d shouts Bert McCracken, illuminated beneath a crimson spotlight. \u201cWe never broke up, we never took a break, we never went anywhere. We have been here the whole f****ng time.\u201d<\/p>\n
We\u2019re at O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, on a chilly December evening to see Utah-formed quartet The Used<\/strong>, who shot to fame all the way back in 2002 after the release of their first Self-Titled album. Now, more than two decades on, they\u2019re back to perform their first UK tour in five years – The Toxic Positivity Tour.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for you and your love and support we wouldn\u2019t still be here so thank you,\u201d frontman Bert earnestly tells the crowd. For many here, The Used were a band that soundtracked their transformative teenage years, carrying them through into adulthood.<\/p>\n The average age of the crowd is noticeably older than it would have been back in the 2000s, but – for a lot of people – this isn\u2019t their first time seeing the emo four-piece. In fact, the band has drawn fans in from overseas. On our way to the venue, we meet a couple who have made the journey from Norway, especially for this show.<\/p>\n On the band\u2019s Instagram page, they\u2019ve posted a video of fans waiting to meet them at Glasgow\u2019s date two nights prior. \u201cI came all the way from Spain to see them,\u201d says one fan excitedly. And The Used\u2019s gratitude can be felt in waves, washing across the crowd.<\/p>\n READ MORE <\/strong> blink-182 oozed brotherhood and sentimentality in epic show – review<\/strong><\/p>\n The set is an explosion of old songs, harkening back to their tornado of a first album, all guttural screaming and cutting lyrics, peppering in newer songs from over the years. It\u2019s clear the setlist has been put together with the mix of first-timers and long-standing fans in mind.<\/p>\n The band erupt on stage with 2007\u2019s Pretty Handsome Awkward<\/em>, noticeably buzzing with excitement to be back in front of UK crowds. Head-to-toe in black, frontman Bert energetically dives across the stage, signature neon pink microphone in hand.<\/p>\n As the first lines of the song rage throughout the space, he raises the microphone stand in the air, like a king commanding his subjects with a sceptre. The lights overhead transition to a deep shade of red, as the opening chords of \u2019Take it Away<\/em>\u2019 from their second album, In Love and Death<\/em>, ring out.<\/p>\n Bert\u2019s voice has noticeably improved since the band\u2019s early years, though he focuses more on the melodic part of songs these days, while bass guitarist Jeph Howard steps up for most of the screaming sections in older tracks. But the unique texture of McCracken\u2019s vocals remains the same as it ever was.<\/p>\n The years of near non-stop touring mean that technically The Used are on top form. And though guitar player Joey Bradford only joined the band in 2018, if you didn\u2019t know, you\u2019d think he\u2019d been there since day one.<\/p>\n Bert\u2019s journey into sobriety is partly to thank for why The Used are so much more polished than they once were – as polished as the chaos of this alternative rock band can be. \u201cIf you or someone you know struggles with addiction, I\u2019m telling you if there\u2019s hope for someone like me, there is hope for someone like you as well,\u201d he tells the crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not give up on yourselves, alright?\u201d But while Bert might have changed up his lifestyle, his onstage presence hasn\u2019t faltered or softened as a result. He\u2019s the same quirky, distinct, rock ringmaster that he\u2019s ever been, encouraging the crowd to boo the band after their loathe-filled 2023 release People are Vomit<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t that feel good?\u201d Bert grins. \u201cWhen is the last time you got to boo a f****ng band, it\u2019s f****ng crazy.\u201d At one point, he throws a cup of water into the crowd, only for fans to launch one right back at him and he laughs to himself.<\/p>\n And the rest of the band join in the high-jinx too. Even from the back of the stage, positioned behind his mighty drum kit, Dan Whitesides still manages to have some banter with the audience, reacting to the chaos unfolding in front of him.<\/p>\n The music is gnarly and nostalgic, but you get so much more at a The Used show – and not always the kind of entertainment you\u2019d expect.<\/p>\n Between songs, Bert whips up a \u201cbig fat circle pit\u201d which spins at his feet while he recites his \u201cfavourite soliloquy in the world\u201d: William Shakespeare\u2019s Tomorrow and Tomorrow, from gothic tragedy Macbeth. It\u2019s a commentary on the futility of life that echoes the sentiment of many of McCrackens’ own lyrics.<\/p>\n Newer tracks, from 2022 onwards, get noticeably less attention from the crowd than the more classic hits. Perhaps that\u2019s why they chose to perform just three songs from this period, before giving concertgoers what they seemingly really want. The promise of some \u201colder s**t\u201d is met with a cheer.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/35\/590x\/secondary\/The-Used-5110674.jpg?r=1702386654545\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/35\/590x\/secondary\/The-Used-5110675.jpg?r=1702386654589\")
<\/p>\n\n