Heartland Rock, Punk Spirit and Songs That Hit Home in Manchester, Brian Fallon & The Painkillers – Albert Hall, Manchester
Albert Hall, Manchester - 11th November 2026
WORDS / IMAGES JESS DEFFERD
Not Bad for New Jersey Tour
There are few better rooms in Manchester for a rock and roll band than Albert Hall. The old Wesleyan chapel on Peter Street has high ceilings, balcony rails and a stage that makes everyone on it look slightly larger than life. On a cold November Wednesday, Brian Fallon & The Painkillers filled it with amber light, heavy guitars and a lot of heart.
Chris Farren opened the night. He walked out to a room still filling up and had won it over within minutes. His set was big hooks and high energy, and he kept the whole hall watching as he posed and jumped around the stage. He’s Fallon’s main support on the UK and European dates, and it’s an inspired pairing. He set the tone perfectly for what came next.
Fallon’s songwriting has a timeless quality. It’s grounded in heartland rock and punk energy, with a strong sense of nostalgia, and it has always made personal stories feel like it belongs to everyone. The Gaslight Anthem frontman’s set drew on both his latest material and the songs that have made him such a distinctive writer within modern rock.
The band wasted no time. They opened with “Nobody Likes You in NYC” and went straight into “Lonely for You Only” and “Painkillers”, and by the third song the floor was already moving. Each song, one after the other, kept the pace up, and it was clear this was a band who urged to play - not warm up.
With The Painkillers behind him, Fallon’s solo songs hit particularly hard. The band gives his voice real weight, moving between reflective moments and bursts of guitar-led rock. They played with the chemistry of people who know each other well, which let the songs breathe without losing any urgency, or the hooked attention of the crowd.
The room really played its part, also. The chapel’s towering architecture is a world away from the usual concert venue, and it made an interesting contrast with the feel of Fallon’s songs. It has a real sense of occasion, but it never smothered the rawness that makes this kind of music so good.
The title track, “Not Bad for New Jersey”, got one of the warmest welcomes of the night, a fitting centrepiece for a tour named after it. The crowd took over, singing every word back so loudly that the balcony seemed to shake, and Fallon let them carry whole lines on their own.
The night finished on ‘A wonderful Life’ and the room emptied out, slowly, back into the crisp Manchester night. There was no spectacle here. Just great songs played loud and well, a crowd that gave as much as it got, and songs that stay with you long after the amps are switched off and your ears are still ringing.
SETLIST
Nobody Likes You in NYC
Lonely for You Only
Painkillers
Ladykiller
Hard Feelings
The Big Sleep
If Your Prayers Don't Get to Heaven
On Good Terms
You Have Stolen My Heart
Among Other Foolish Things
Better Before
Etta James
Red Lights
Somewhere You Shouldn't Be
Forget Me Not
Nobody Wins
Not Bad for New Jersey
Honey Magnolia
Smoke
Rosemary
A Wonderful Life
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