The Black Crowes @ Albert Hall, Manchester - 25th June 2026
- John Hayhurst
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Hotter Than Hell in the Church of Rock 'n' Roll
On the hottest day of the year, The Black Crowes turned a sweltering former chapel into a sweat-soaked celebration of timeless rock 'n' roll, proving that after more than three decades, the Robinson brothers remain one of the greatest live acts on the planet.
Words and Photos - John Hayhurst
When The Black Crowes announced that their only UK appearances in 2026 would be this intimate Albert Hall show in Manchester and a slot at State Fayre Festival the following evening, tickets disappeared quickly. For those packed inside the city's former Wesleyan chapel, it felt less like another tour date and more like a gathering of a faithful congregation, ready for another evangelical experience, and we were being cooked in our own sweat.
Stained-glass windows towered above the audience, but there wasn't a hint of air conditioning to be found. Temperatures nudged past 30 degrees, and before a note had even been played, everyone knew this wasn't going to be the most comfortable evening. Chris Robinson summed it up perfectly later in the set: "We just came from Florida, and it's not as hot as this." Nobody in the room disagreed.
Before the band even appeared, comedian Frankie Monroe – proudly billing himself as "Yorkshire's Biggest Bastard" – warmed the crowd with a wonderfully daft introduction. Dressed in a top hat and suit, he dramatically launched himself off the front wedge as he exited the stage, earning a laugh from the audience and an equally amused reaction from the band as they walked out moments later.
"Let's play some rock and roll!" shouted Chris Robinson. Cue "Remedy." The biggest hit from their 2nd album - and let the sweatfest commence.
There was absolutely no easing into the evening. The Albert Hall instantly became a steam room, sweat pouring from the band and crowd alike as shirts rapidly changed colour under the relentless heat. Robinson, already one of rock's great frontmen, even appeared to debut a brand-new dance move, repeatedly shaking his head from side to side like a dog trying to dry itself after a swim. Whether it was deliberate or simply survival mode hardly mattered—it somehow fitted perfectly into his ever-growing catalogue of wonderfully unpredictable stage antics.
The band are touring behind their excellent 2026 album 'A Pound Of Feathers', yet only one song made the cut, the swaggering "It's Like That." Rather than filling the set with new material, The Black Crowes continue to rotate songs nightly, rewarding fans who follow them from show to show.
Manchester benefited from several welcome surprises. Deep cuts such as "(Only) Halfway to Everywhere" and "Good Morning Captain" sat comfortably alongside classics from the band's first two records. "Jealous Again," "Hard to Handle," "She Talks to Angels" and "Twice As Hard" from their debut all received huge reactions, reminding everyone just how extraordinary that early album remains.
One of the evening's most unexpected moments arrived when Rich Robinson stepped forward to take lead vocals on a cover of Gram Parsons' "She." His voice captured the warmth and fragility of the original beautifully, while simultaneously giving Chris a rare opportunity to catch his breath after an hour of almost constant movement.
My personal highlight came midway through the set with the gorgeous "Wiser Time," from their 'Amorica' album, a song that somehow seems to improve with age every time it's played live. Later, a barnstorming "No Speak No Slave" blew the roof off the Albert Hall, its relentless groove proving that the band can still summon the kind of raw power that first made them such a formidable live force in the early 90's.
Returning for the encore, the band delivered a wonderfully loose version of The Faces' "Three Button Hand Me Down." Before launching into it, Chris thanked "everyone for coming to play in the sauna tonight... but hey, we all made it through the show alive, didn't we?" Judging by the cheers, surviving together somehow made the night even more memorable.
I've now seen The Black Crowes more than 120 times, in over 30 years, and that isn't a statistic I mention lightly. This performance genuinely ranks alongside the very best. Line-ups have changed countless times over the years, but as long as Chris and Rich Robinson stand shoulder to shoulder on stage, The Black Crowes remain a live concert experience unlike anything else in rock 'n' roll.
As the closing Faces lyrics remind us, "others may come and others may go." Bands will form, disappear and be forgotten. But wherever my own musical journey takes me, I'll always follow The Black Crowes. Nights like this are exactly why.
