Review: The Get Up Kids ***

The Get Up Kids have wandered back on stage to pick up where they left off five years ago. It's the last night of their brief comeback tour and lead guitarist Jim Suptic, opens the show acknowledging their long absence. "It's been a while Leeds," he says. "So let's have some fun tonight."

Sadly the set from the daddies of pop punk and new emo doesn't quite live up to that promise. Going their separate ways in 2005, citing artistic differences, news of a reunion emerged two years ago. It was billed a celebration of their most popular album Something to Write Home About, but the band don't seem in the mood to invite anyone else to the party.

Occasionally clinking glasses and sharing jokes with one another – they barely seem to notice the audience are there for the first half of the show. Eventually, frontman Matthew Pryor tells the audience to put their hands up during the song No Love and while it feels a little like a school assembly, we're just grateful they've realised we're there. Some of the crowd are too young to remember the first wave of The Get Up Kids, but the older fans have clearly been waiting for this night since the break up.

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As the set unfolds, the atmosphere warms up and finally during the encore a sudden tidal wave of energy crashes into the room and bounces off the walls, just like we remember.

By the end of the two hour set, The Get Up Kids are finally back and only then do I believe they mean it.

Cockpit, Leeds

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