Good Neighbours Concert Review @ O2 Institute, Birmingham – 16/02/26

Photos by Chloe Williams

Words by Chloe Williams

Good Neighbours are bringing us all the blue skies we need, and we are not even standing outside. Oli Fox and Scott Verrill bring all the good vibes and positive energy you need to start and conquer a fresh new day, enabling the dark and compact concert venue in the middle of Birmingham to morph into a blue sky filled with rainbows, and even a pot of gold at the end. It is fair to say they take the name of their debut album,”Blue Sky Mentality,” quite literally; that’s for sure. 

With a show at Birmingham’s O2 Institute on Monday 16th February, just after the events of the widely-celebrated Valentine’s Day, Good Neighbours found home playing their newest version of their recent album “Blue Sky Mentality (Complete Edition)”. Including new versions, soft versions, covers, live recordings, and 4 new studio tunes, we have been treated to the very best of the best here, and we didn’t even see it coming. The surprise release honoured the true spirit of Valentine’s Day, offering love and happiness through the act of music. What best way to celebrate the special day?

The night started with two generous support acts: FLETCHR FLETCHR and Master Peace. Inviting the audience into a night of expression and gratitude, the four-piece band FLETCHR FLETCHR started the set with deep, atmospheric vocals, gaining the room’s attention almost immediately. Those who keep up-to-date with the various names in our music industry would not be new to FLETCHR FLETCHR, with the band supporting Imagine Dragons on their arena tour last summer and releasing their new EP “We All Feel The Same” not long later in November. Notably, while the band performed a few of their official tracks, including “Jet Black,” the most memorable was their unreleased. “Stop F***ing With My Head” had the classic angst, while “Life” struck a more personal note, a song linked to the passing of Rohan’s father and the way life moves forward regardless. 

Master Peace continued to lift the energy, bringing a whole new stream of influences to the stage before the main act. Reminiscent of the 2000s indie scene, the South London duo showcased strong and youthful vocals supported by a significant punk-infused drum beat. With the release of their debut album “How To Make It Master Peace” back in 2024 and the most recent single “F*** It Up (feat. Declan McKenna)” in January this year, Master Peace are here to have a good time and ensure you are having one too. Exciting is an understatement, with the live performance bringing the need to dance time and time again, with “Save Me,” “Stupid Kids,” and “LOS NARCOS” as stand-outs on the set. And this doesn’t even include the finale moment where Peace Okezie jumped into the crowd for “Home,” bringing the whole movie-style moment to the middle of the floor at the O2 Institute. Most definitely not something you see every day in the city of Birmingham. The catchy hook and vibrant energy of “Start You Up” brought the set to a close as Master Peace ended on a high unlike any other. 

And now for Good Neighbours. The band we all came here to see – filled to the brim with positive energy and a radiance that we need in our everyday lives. Whilst “Home” may have been their song of global success, it is no question that the rest belong up in the charts too. Starting the set with a lengthened version of “Suburbs” meant an all-encompassing drumbeat and instrumental segment set up the show for all its star-quality and utter potential. It is clear that the team understood the assignment at hand, with the lighting meeting every beat and building the performance up perfectly. Various other tracks “Skipping Stones,” “Ripple,” “found u/me” and “People Meet People” invite this positive energy in, permanently altering your facial express to a smile, while “Bloom,” “The Buzz” (their very best attempt at a sad song) and “Small Town” led with a more soft and aware forefront. As a turning point for the show, “Wonderful Life” stood as a point of understanding – life is not as straightforward as we often want it to be, but the way forward is through the beautiful lies we tell ourselves. It is through the act of wanting to move forward and get to a better light, rooting yourself in this idea of appreciation. Oli and Scott have delivered this message in the most perfect format, and now we can all dance, cry and sing as we learn the lessons of life that we will cherish forever. 

“Keep It Up” reinforces this message while managing to bring the set full-circle, including the band’s second single before taking it back to their debut single “Home,” of which has received worldwide popularity since its release and number 26 on the UK’s official charts. The crowd screamed each and every word before the song even started, demonstrating the true significance of the duo and the places they are heading. As “Daisies” closed the show, each and every person decided to have a groove, already feeling the nostalgia of the humane experience.

Good Neighbours are the definition of a blue sky in the music industry, a rare phenomenon in today’s music industry. Now all we need is summer and, more specifically, a festival in London to fuel the duo’s optimism with the most perfect listening conditions. Serenading in sunshine, sitting in a field, listening to Good Neighbours – what a wonderful life. No pun intended.

Listen to “Blue Sky Mentality (Complete Edition)” now on all streaming platforms, and make sure to follow their tour journey through Europe.

Photos by Chloe Williams