THE B-52s, DEVO & THE REZILLOS: A Glorious Celebration of Rock's Lifelong Outsiders at Manchester's AO Arena
- ANDI CALLEN
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
AO Arena, Manchester – June 21st, 2026
WORDS HARRY K / IMAGES ANDI CALLEN
There are gigs that feel like concerts, and there are gigs that feel like cultural reunions. On Sunday night at Manchester's AO Arena, the Cosmic De-Evolution Tour delivered the latter. Three generations of punk, new wave and alternative music collided under one roof as The Rezillos, DEVO and The B-52s assembled a bill so gloriously odd that it felt almost impossible it was happening in 2026.
The arena was packed with punks, new wavers, curious younger converts and lifelong fans who had been carrying these records around with them for decades. What united them all was the anticipation of seeing artists who never fitted comfortably into rock's traditional mould and who, because of that, have outlasted so many of their contemporaries.
The Rezillos were first up and wasted absolutely no time getting down to business. The Edinburgh veterans remain one of Britain's most underrated punk exports, and their set was a reminder that punk was once as much about fun as fury. They attacked the stage with the same cartoon energy that made them stand out in the late seventies. Eugene Reynolds remains a compelling frontman, while Fay Fife's presence is as magnetic as ever. Their songs still arrive at breakneck speed, mixing punk aggression with bubblegum melodies and enough sci-fi weirdness to keep everything delightfully unhinged. They turned the arena floor into a bouncing mass of bodies long before the headliners appeared, and in doing so reminded everyone why they remain such a beloved cult act.
Then came DEVO.
If The Rezillos supplied the spark, DEVO detonated the building.
The band emerged with all the precision and absurdity that has defined them for nearly fifty years. The famous visual aesthetic remains intact, but it isn't nostalgia. It still feels like a warning from some alternate future that somehow became our present. Musically they were astonishing. The rhythms remained mechanical without becoming cold, the guitars cut through the arena mix like industrial machinery and the songs felt every bit as sharp and relevant as they did when they first appeared. What has always separated DEVO from many of their peers is their ability to be funny, unsettling and musically brilliant all at the same time. Watching them tear through their catalogue was like witnessing performance art crash headlong into a garage rock gig. Judging by the reaction around me, there were plenty of people who arrived for The B-52s and left wondering whether DEVO had stolen the night. That wouldn't be an unreasonable conclusion. Their set was that strong.
But then The B-52s arrived, and suddenly the evening became one giant party.
Few bands have ever possessed such a distinctive identity. From the moment the familiar opening sounds rolled across the arena, The B-52s transformed Manchester into their own peculiar universe, a place where surf guitars, dance rhythms, kitsch Americana and pure joy coexist perfectly.
What struck me immediately was how much affection exists for this band. Every song seemed attached to a memory somewhere in the audience. The response was immediate and emotional, with fans dancing in the aisles, singing every chorus and embracing the sheer escapism of it all.
Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson remain the band's secret weapon. Their harmonies continue to define the B-52s sound, soaring effortlessly above the groove while creating that unmistakable chemistry that nobody else has ever quite managed to replicate. Meanwhile Fred Schneider prowled the stage with all the eccentric charisma that has made him one of popular music's most unique frontmen. There has never been anybody else quite like him, and thankfully there still isn't.
The set itself was a celebration of one of the most distinctive catalogues in American music. Every song arrived like an invitation to another party. The grooves were tight, the vocals were strong and the band looked like they were having every bit as much fun as the audience.
What impressed me most was how little this felt like an exercise in nostalgia. Yes, these songs carry decades of history behind them, but they remain wonderfully alive. The B-52s have always occupied a lane entirely of their own. Too strange for mainstream rock, too playful for punk, too intelligent for novelty status, they somehow created a sound that remains instantly recognisable half a century later.
By the time the closing stretch arrived, the entire arena had surrendered. Strangers were dancing together. Security staff were smiling. The rows of seats had become largely irrelevant. It felt less like watching a concert and more like being swept up in a communal celebration of weirdness itself.
Rock and roll has always needed its outsiders. On this evidence, The Rezillos, DEVO and The B-52s remain proud carriers of that tradition. Three bands who never followed the rules, never chased trends and never worried about fitting in delivered one of the most entertaining nights Manchester is likely to see this year.
The music industry has spent decades trying to manufacture originality. On Sunday night at the AO Arena, the real thing was standing right there in front of us.
SET LIST
Planet Claire
Mesopotamia
Give Me Back My Man
Topaz
52 Girls
Roam
Party Out of Bounds
Dance This Mess Around
Private Idaho
Love Shack
6060-842
Rock Lobster
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