There’s something about a New Found Glory show that feels like coming home. No matter how many years have passed or how much life has changed, when those opening chords hit, you’re right back where it all started — shouting lyrics with your friends, sweaty, smiling, and completely lost in the moment.
Jordan Pundik of New Found Glory @ O2 Academy Birmingham
At the O2 Academy Birmingham, that feeling was alive and kicking. The air was buzzing with excitement before the band even stepped out. Then, without warning, they launched straight into Something I Call Personality, and the place erupted. Instantly, it was chaos in the best way — fists in the air, fans yelling every word, and grins stretching from the front barrier to the back of the room.
Frontman Jordan Pundik was all energy and warmth, bouncing around the stage and feeding off the crowd’s enthusiasm. With Dan O’Connor from Four Years Strong on guitar, the band sounded massive — tight, confident, and full of life. The chemistry between the four of them was obvious, the kind that only comes from years of doing what you love with people who love it just as much.
The early part of the set was packed with classics. When they dropped Hit Or Miss, the whole place went wild — it was like watching 1,500 people suddenly turn 16 again. From there it was anthem after anthem: Head On Collision, All Downhill From Here, and Dressed To Kill all landed perfectly, every chorus echoing back from the crowd louder than the band themselves.
In between songs, there was plenty of banter — the kind that makes you feel like you’re part of something more than just a show. Then came the quieter moment with Sonny, a song that still hits like a punch to the gut. The crowd swayed together, singing every word with that bittersweet tone only pop punk can pull off.
They kept things fun too. The cheeky cover of Let It Go, from Disney’s mega-hit Frozen, had everyone laughing and singing along, as did their pop-punk cover of Sixpence None The Richer hit Kiss Me, while Dave Knox joined on keys for a few songs like Failure’s Not Flattering and Hold My Hand, adding a little extra shine to the sound. Even newer tracks like Happy Being Miserable and Vicious Love fit right in — proof that NFG’s spark hasn’t faded in the slightest.
Ian Grushka of New Found Glory @ O2 Academy Birmingham
By the time they hit Understatement, the room was shaking. The band left for a breather, but the chants for “N-F-G!” were deafening. Of course, there was only one way to end it. The familiar intro kicked in, and My Friends Over You turned the whole venue into one big, sweaty singalong — friends on shoulders, beers in the air, and voices completely gone.
Walking out of the O2 Academy, you could feel the buzz in the air — that shared after-show glow that only happens when a band gives everything they’ve got. New Found Glory didn’t just play a set; they gave everyone in that room a reminder of why this music still matters.
Live review & photography of New Found Glory at the O2 Academy Birmingham on 10th October 2025 by Nick Allan.
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