Live Review : Tremonti + Florence Black @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on February 13th 2025

The O2 Ritz is rammed tonight to witness a solo outing from guitar superstar Mark Tremonti. Known as a founding member and songwriter of both Creed and Alter Bridge he also has a parallel solo career that spans some 14 years and six albums. So the question on everyone’s lips tonight isn’t “is he any good?” – that’s kind of a given. It’s more along the lines of “just how good is he?” 

First though we have South Wales very own Florence Black. They are loud. Like, really loud. The Ritz balcony is vibrating they are so loud. These days the Florence Black machine is pretty slick, yet somehow they manage to maintain that slight fuzziness around the edges that’s become their signature sound. They go down great with the crowd, and when they exhort us to “scream for me Manchester” that’s exactly what we do.

Unfortunately in places they are loud to the point of distortion which is a shame as there are some good melodies in the mix and some catchy toe tappers too. They finish their set with their most well-known song ‘Sun and Moon’ which is a delightfully growly but also a bouncy anthemic little ditty.

As the main man takes to the stage with his band, the crowd erupts. The packed-out Ritz has one thing on its collective mind, to worship at the feet of his genius. Tremonti’s calling card is to be simultaneously heavingly heavy and gloriously melodic. His solo stuff has always been a tad more thrashy than either of his day jobs and that rampant racket shine through. As its his his band he takes on lead vocals and to those here purely because of the Alter Bridge and Creed connotations there is a bit of a surprise when they realise that he is really rather good. He’s may not have the range of say Kennedy or Stapp but he more than makes up for it with power and charisma.

The other revelation for those tempted along purely on the strength of Mark's legacy is that Tremonti is very much a band as opposed to an ego trip. Second guitarist Eric Friedman has been with him from the start of his solo career, and Mark makes sure to mention this and to allow him his own moments in the spotlight throughout the set. The rest of the band work well with both Mark and each other and the whole thing gels into a set of both power and melody very nicely.  There's lots of places for the audience to join in, clapping along and singing with gusto, and their delight in doing so is also pleasing. 

There are of course highlights, ‘Throw Them To The Lions’ is a throwback in itself, as the official video was filmed here at the Ritz some 6 years ago. ‘It’s Not Over’ is a powerhouse of a ballad, allowing the band to cross genres and showcase that they can appeal to everybody.

They bring out guest guitarist and social media star Sophie Burrell to guest on ‘Marching In Time’, a song written with her for Mark’s daughter. Despite his background and status Mark comes across as a very down to earth and real guy – no divas here! ‘Flying Monkeys’ allows drummer Ryan Bennett to shine a little, and then we go atmospheric and head all the way back to the first album for ‘Dust’ which may start gently but soon morphs into a proper headbanger.

There are occasional time changes to liven things up and help with the creation of a tapestry of sound that weaves around the crowd, drawing them in and keeping them hooked. The last song of the main set is apparently the most requested song at meet and greets, ‘Decay’ and it's another catchy number that screams out with early noughties nostalgia. That leaves us with just the encore, ‘Dying Machines’ from the fourth album of the same name, which spits with venom but at the same time caresses like silk. With that we are done, and the question posed at the start is definitively answered. Just how good is Tremonti? Awesomely so, without a doubt. 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Tremonti + Florence Black