Mercury Rev: All is Dream 25th Anniversary Tour

Mercury Rev are playing the O2 Ritz on Friday 16 October, as part of their All is Dream 25th Anniversary Tour. It's a specific kind of night: the band is touring the anniversary of one of their most recognisable records, and the Manchester date falls on a Friday, so it's one you can head to without worrying about an early start the next morning.

All is Dream came out in 2001, and this tour is built around it. The set focuses on that album, which means the songs that defined that era of the band are the ones getting the most air. If you've spent time with the record, you'll recognise the sound—the wide, cinematic arrangements and the distinct vocals that set it apart from their earlier, more experimental work. Hearing those tracks played live, and in full, is the whole point of the tour.

Mercury Rev are the only act on the bill, so the night is built around them. They've been playing for decades, and All is Dream sits in the middle of that run, a record that shifted their sound towards something more melodic and open. This tour brings it back to the front, with the songs from that album taking centre stage rather than being mixed into a general best-of set.

It's at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, and the timing is straightforward: doors open at 19:00, with a curfew of 23:00. That gives you plenty of time to get in and settle before they start, and the late curfew means the set can run properly without being cut short. If you've got the record and want to hear it played through, this is the one.