Pop Break: The Struts, ‘Everybody Wants 10th Anniversary Tour’ at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, PA with Dirty Honey on Saturday August 23, 2025
British glam rock band The Struts played Philly’s Fillmore on Saturday night and it was glorious!
It was just one of the stops on their 40-date North American Tour. The band have come full circle by celebrating the tenth anniversary of their debut album Everybody Wants, which they are performing in its entirety. They’ll also be playing other fan favorites. It also marks a decade since the band first performed in the U.S.A which was a pivotal step in their career. The band has a huge following in Philadelphia.
Their first performance in Philly was when they opened up on the main stage of Jay-Z’s Made in America Festival on 9/05/15. The band drew a huge crowd which was not the norm so early on in the day. I was in the pit that day and can honestly say they knocked it out of the park! Luke Spiller jumped off the stage and led the crowd in a sing-along from the barricade. Talk about a great first impression! This is where Philly’s love affair with the band began. It didn’t hurt that local radio station WMMR was an early staunch supporter of the band and got their music out to their tri-state area listeners.
The show opened up with L.A band Dirty Honey. They were the perfect choice to open. Both bands share a retro rock sensibility rooted in ’70s rock and glam that brings back the spirit of classic rock and roll, but with old school showmanship. They played a high energy crowd pleasing 10-song set that left the audience wanting more! Lead singer Marc Labelle, who was dripping in charisma, was all over the stage during the set. The band itself was stellar and their showmanship was off the charts. There were plenty of scorching solos and tight rhythms throughout the set. Songs that stood out were “Too Good at Being Bad”, “California Dreamin,” “Won’t Take Me Alive” and “Rollin 7’s,” in which Labelle wound up in the pit with his microphone stand. The incredible energy they brought really hyped up the crowd for the Struts set.
The Struts opened with “Primadonna Like Me.”The band started playing and even before one word was sung by Spiller, he had the audience jumping and clapping along. He really is a master showman. It was really loud and felt more like an encore moment than the start of a show. The energy right out of the gate was incredible. The audience was totally engaged throughout the entire set and sang along the entire night. Besides their hits “Kiss This” and “Could Have Been Me,” some other highlights included “Put Your Money on Me,” “Roll Up,” “She Makes Me Feel” and “The Old Switcheroo.” Guitarist Adam Slack did a nice solo right before they played Black Swan, which Spiller said was for their hardcore fans. Bassist “Jed Elliot” provided groove after groove and seemed to be in sync with drummer Gethin Davies whose performance behind the kit was impressive.
The band encored with Spiller at the piano for an epic sing along on “One Night Only” and followed that up with “Pretty Vicious.” This performance was one for the books. This was such a special night. The Struts put on an unforgettable show. Cheers to this beloved band!
