A sold-out Concorde 2 welcomed back Airbourne for the first of their five-date UK tour. There is no surprise that this show sold out quickly. The energy and vigour of an Airbourne show is something else, and this is a band that provides no surprises but constantly deliver high-energy, high-intensity performances. The fans knew what they wanted, they knew what to expect, and unsurprisingly, Airbourne delivered…in spades.
Airbourne
Concorde 2, Brighton – 3 March 2025
Words: Adrian Stonley
Photography: Robert Sutton
With their last studio album, Boneshaker, released back in 2019, there was no new material, tonight’s setlist was a pure best of.
Opening with Ready To Rock, Airbourne set out their intent and had the hardened audience whipped into a frenzy from the moment the first chord was struck. Everyone was here to have a good time, and that was what they had.
This was a non-stop powder keg show. There is no subtlety about Airbourne, but honestly, who cares? They were born to rock ‘n’ roll, and that is what they do, and to quote Lemmy, “They do it real well.”
With frontman and guitarist Joel O’Keeffe his usual exuberant self, there was no holding the boys back and from the moment they hit the stage running the adrenaline rush began. Quite simply, Airbourne are the second greatest exponents of Aussie rock. Even they would not begrudge AC/DC top place. But, in regards to their stage performances, they push them hard.
Every song delivered was like a piledriver, and seeing them back in a small club environment was quite simply stupendous. The noise, the sweat-dripping walls, the wall of sound and the band up close and personal were everything that you could want.
Yet, this being Airbourne up close and personal also means Joel taking his usual walk through the audience, beer cans dispatched off his head in a seething and frothing morass of pent-up exuberation.
With songs like Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast and Breaking Out Of Hell, Airbourne more than have the anthems for a loud and raucous singalong.
This was a night for jumping, yelling, shouting and throwing fists in the air. And a few pints as well with Joel firing pint after pint of lager out into the audience. There were clearly a number of Airbourne veterans who were ready on shoulders to catch them before they went everywhere, coating the rest of the audience in warm beer. 
Yet there is also time for more gimmicks, with Lemmy’s bar being wheeled on stage and Joel pouring pint glasses of Jack Daniels and Coke for the band to toast the Godfather of rock before handing them out to the audience.
With the amount of beer and whiskey flying around, it is a miracle that Joel can play his guitar. The strings must get ridiculously sticky, but hey, that’s rock ‘n’ roll, and we will leave that to the guitar techs to sort out.
Closing out the set with It’s All For Rock ‘n’ Roll followed by Stand Up For Rock ‘n’ Roll, they raised the heat and ecstasy higher before the familiar air ride siren was rolled out, and the band returned with Live It Up and Running Wild.
What a night!!! What a show!!! If you need someone to blow the winter blues away then Airbourne are it. This was quite simply an awe-inspiring example of great showmanship, superb rock ‘n’ roll and, above all else, fun.
Roll on their next set of dates.
