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LIVE REVIEW: Keo @ NBHD Festival 2026
Nowadays Neighbourhood Festival is considered a staple in the indie calendar. However, ten years ago, when the festival first started, no one could have imagined the success the event has become.
In its first year, the festival saw acts including Blossoms, Circa Waves and Liam Fray take to the stage. Ten years on, almost all the acts didn’t exist when the festival first opened its doors, but the aim of bringing the best up and coming bands to new fans, remains the same.
One of those bands has captured the imagination of the indie scene like no other. With their high energy and emotionally charged lyrics, Keo have easily become the most talked about band now. This was clear to see as streams of fans queued up outside the Academy over two hours before they were due to come on stage. Only a few short weeks after the release of their debut album, ‘Put A Smile On For Me’, there was a real feeling amongst the crowd that what we were about to witness was a band riding the wave of newfound success.
If the crowd weren’t already excited enough, ‘Love Spreads’ by The Stone Roses signalled walk on time, cueing cheers from the crowd. Opener ‘Hands’ crashed into the room. The band had arrived and the atmosphere was electric. From the off the crowd sang back every word. This continued throughout the set, the connection between the band and the crowd was unmatched.
‘Thorn’ was a highlight of the 1-hour set. Whilst the crowd had sung back every word of each song before, here lead singer Finn Keogh was able to let the fans take over. In the moment, the room lit up with the energy flowing from the stage, Finn backed away from the mic and the crowd took over. Mosh pits weren’t amiss either. The crowd was alive and well. ‘That’s Me’ only added to the chaos, making way for a wave of movement throughout the crowd.
Keo took to the stage with a confidence reserved only for bands that are right at the top of their game. Their set was undoubtedly one to remember with their fans aware and taking in every moment. It was a pleasure getting to watch them at this stage in their career. Saying that bigger stages await seems like a bit of an understatement.
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