Live Review - Morning Parade

ON PARADE: Morning Parade on show in Manchester

CHURCH pews, multi-coloured chandeliers and burgundy walls welcome electro-rock five piece Morning Parade to Manchester at the quirky ballroom-esque Night and Day Cafe.

Vintage-looking picture frames and beams don’t initially strike you as the perfect backdrop for a fresh dance influenced band but blue fairy lights and spotlights attempt to make the group feel more at home.

Having recently signed to Parlophone, joining the likes of Kylie Minogue and Coldplay, and getting airplay on Radio 1, XFM and BBC 6 Music, expectations of the Essex natives are high despite an anything but capacity crowd of around 80 punters.

Prior to the gig only ‘Under The Stars’ has been released as a single from their as yet untitled upcoming album, with ‘A&E’ set to hit the shops on February 28^th.

As the nervous-looking fivesome stroll onto the slim line Night and Day stage, the waistcoat-clad lead guitarist, shirted bassist and singer set for action with his sleeves rolled up form a frontline of strings, as that familiar distant soft electronic start brings the mixed crowd alive.

Those there just to see what all the fuss is about are even nodding their heads in approval as the beat rises higher before jumping into the echoed yearning bass guitar rhythm at the centre of ‘Under The Stars’.

All of this is added to by a Foals ‘Spanish Sahara’-style bleeping accompaniment and lead singer Steve Sparrow’s polished vocals before a rocky interlude and final bit of chorus that couldn’t have opened their set in a bigger way.

After that tight opening song the stage then beckons for a sound man who’s out to solve the technical issues that Sparrow is already apologising about before the gleaming guitars and pulsing drumbeat of ‘Marble Attic’ urge the singer to stand in front of his mic in the heavier sections.

More problems coerce Sparrow into saying: “Ever feel like life’s f**king you in the arse?”, before a later admission that the band have never had a good gig in Manchester marks a strange rapport with the crowd who look bemused as the band sound tight.

For a group that has major label backing and have supported the likes of Feeder and Florence and the Machine, Morning Parade are a clean cut almost imageless set of mates that seem keen just to get on with the music.

Besides all this however, the band continue to power through with their set that rings of everything from My Chemical Romance’s catchy emo-rock and Angels and Airwaves’ big sounding symphonic indie.

Described as a band that are stadium rockers in the making by their supporters, a lot of their expansive tracks warrant that reputation and are in truth more suited to Wembley than a Mancunian cafe.

‘Speechless’ is a classic example of this with its heavy drum backing, soaring guitars and pretty piano that accompany Sparrow’s wide-eyed vocal that is more than up to the task as he brings the tempo down gently, singing: “I’m just speechless”.

And it’s not long before their second single, ‘A&E’, kicks into action with its vibrant bouncing guitar and familiarly atmospheric electronic background yearnings and a vocalist who at his best sounds like Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins.

But if anything this continuous use of keyboards, electronic organ chords and bleeps and beeps does make defining tracks individually harder and blends the set more than you might like as it goes on.

One black sheep in the set that signifies the stranger grating tendencies on the part of the group then follows in the form of ‘Your Majesty’.

Shadowed by an odd-sounding organ based dancy backing which sounds like something from an 80’s horror film or Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace is added to by an uncharacteristic ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ guitar riff during the chorus that on the whole is hard on the ears.

‘Carousel’ then swiftly follows in emphasising Morning Parade-based frustration with dubbed in electronic claps and yet more random additions of feedback and electro sound effects over what is essentially a good guitar-centred track.

Before signing off with the slightly less electronic ‘Born Alone’ the self deprecating Sparrow says: “We’ll make sure we’ll be better for you next time,” which if anything ends the night on a low after what was for the most part a good gig.

And on the whole it’s not difficult to see why Morning Parade are being tipped for the top as they clearly have some fantastic mixed influences and ingredients, none more so than Sparrow’s standout live vocal.

But at points the overuse of echoed electronics make what could be great tracks become too layered and unnecessarily complex when Sparrow and those gleaming guitars are calling out to be centre stage.

Also published on www.virgin.com

http://www.virgin.com/music/reviews/morning-parade-at-night-day/

Live Review - Brother

Seemingly the biggest buzz-band of the minute, Brother, and their arrogant press mystique, have been stealing the covers of music press magazines as part of a Gallagher-esque renaissance.

But aside from the hype, the quartet, who arrived in Manchester on the back of fantastic support act, All The Young, had a lot to live up to in the newly refurbished Ruby Lounge.

Branded as “little posh boys with tattoos” by Liam Gallagher, Brother kicked off their self-labelled ‘Gritpop’ set with a track called ‘Fly by Night’, which inevitably had that Oasis-inspired twang and warmed up the crowd nicely.

Arriving on stage with a backing singer and an extra percussionist however does make you wonder whether they are quite as raw as we are led to believe.

Lead singer Lee Newell’s blatant arrogance and brash Brother demeanour, summed up by his statement that they decided to write some songs that turned out to be the best songs of the last 20 years, was surprisingly absent from Manchester however.

In fact after their opener, an over-excited audience member jumped on stage and rather than him being kicked off stage by Newell himself, he was welcomed on, as Newell said: “You can be our Bez”.

The Slough-natives then played the hum-along anthem ‘New Year’s Day’, with its gritty deep guitar soundtrack, harmonic vocal interludes and high pitched chorus, to really get the crowd going.

Soon after ‘Bez’ was taken off stage by a burly bouncer, with Newell saying that he felt sorry for him having to leave the stage. Not quite the ASBO attitude the crowd was expecting.

‘Darling Buds of May’ soon followed, announced by its opening lyrics, “I burned the kitchen down, you told me oooo”, and then that infectious chorus and unbelievably catchy guitar riff kicked in.

Sprinkled with Gallagher-esque “nooooows”, Newell’s singing was a Britpop tribute reminiscent whether you love them or hate them, you cant deny are quality tracks.

A slower number in the form of ‘David’ calmed the jumping section of the crowd down as Newell dramatically took off his jacket to unveil the band’s uniform button down collars.

‘Time Machine’ ended the set well, which rings more of Kasabian than anything, with its ringing bass and rangy chorus, still in that cringingly named Gritpop mould.

This short, sharp appearance left the fans wanting more.

Proving a great introduction to Manchester, this tight and persuasive performance brought the doubters round to the Brother way of thinking despite the lack of headline grabbing quotes.

Also published on www.virgin.com

http://www.virgin.com/music/reviews/oh-brother/

HOMECOMING: The Answering Machine play Manchester

A QUIRKY converted institute attic is the vintage homecoming venue for Mancunian indie-rock band, The Answering Machine.

On a frosty Monday night, you can understand why there’s no massive queue outside but on arriving at the gothic-looking Deaf Institute, Manchester, just in time for Foals-inspired support act, Rapids!, the crowd looks notably disinterested, standing a good 10 feet from the stage. Things can only get better in terms of atmosphere at least.

Clad with stain glass windows, stacked speakers, some banked velvet seating and a humungous disco ball, an interesting gig definitely looks to be on the cards inside this human-sized cuckoo clock of a venue.

Having supported the Manic Street Preachers on tour last year, expectations of the group, signed to Heist or Hit Records, are definitely quite high. In fact the band formed back in 2005 just across the road from the venue, at the University of Manchester.

Walking out to their trademark on stage thick set TV screens, ditching a jumper reminiscent of Christmas 1986, frontman Martin Colclough wastes no time in getting to the good stuff with ‘Oh Christina’ from debut album, ‘Another City, Another Sorry’. Straight from the off, the guitars sound crisp, and Colclough is on the edge of the stage yearning for a sing along, warming up nicely for the bigger tracks.

Trying to rally the home crowd, Colclough actually asks the crowd to step closer to the stage but instead they look like middle-aged lambs to the slaughter during the early songs in particular. They break out into applause after the music stops however as if they’re playing impromptu reverse musical statues.

Sipping an energy drink, the band launch into the winding and utterly catchy ‘Obviously Cold’. Immediately when the band hit the chorus, you cant help but think, ‘how is this track not massive?’. It’s upbeat, jumpy, rhythmic and the band is tight, with a lead singer who sounds like a young Grant Nicholas from Feeder at times.

Then you turn to look at the crowd and they look like they’re listening to Mick Hucknall rap to Lady in Red by Chris De Burgh, they look totally out of the zone. In fact the most cringing moment occurs when the singer tries to get the crowd clapping, to an unsurprising, stone faced non-reply.

The massive disco ball dominating the creaky wooden roofing, shimmering on to the glum face of the timid Ron Jeremy look-a-like at the front of the crowd, sums up the eerily cold crowd reaction.

But a couple of tracks thrown in from their upcoming second album, such as ‘3 Miles’ and new single ‘Animals’ grace the up to now faultless set, lightening the mood somewhat. There’s definitely potential here. The former’s searching riff, thick bass and lovely high pitched vocal just works, as guitarist, Pat Fogarty, busts out an odd fluorescent blue mouth organ mid-song.

‘Animals’ is a calmer offering, with a catchy yet low tempo melody, but you cant help but think that a younger, up-for-it audience would have eaten up the tracks on offer.

The undoubted highlight of the night is the mid-set appearance of their third single, ‘Lightbulbs’. With its rocky guitar-ridden melody and punchy chorus, the crowd even joins in a little, singing, “Her eyes just pop like lightbulbs and no, we can turn this, we can turn this round.”

The sweat ridden five-piece sign off with the FIFA 10 anthem, ‘It’s Over, It’s Over, It’s Over’. It charms the pants off you with its hopeful Manics-esque “Ahhhhhhhhhh’s” and rocky underbelly. But inexplicably, it is still not enough to get much more than a flinch out of the crowd, who at times could have been confused for extras from Shaun of the Dead.

On this showing, The Answering Machine are a tight, well drilled band with bags of ability and a selection box of catchy, intelligent tracks. Considering it was for over 18s only, the entrance policy may have been a bit misjudged but that by no means takes away from the band’s ability to smash out a great live performance.

With the right crowd, tonight could have been a classic gig. The quirky venue, creaky floor boards, good support bands and a top quality live performance from a precise group are all ingredients tainted by an aged, conservative set of punters. If it is foot-tapping, upbeat, indie tunes that float your boat, this band is a must see.

Also published on www.virgin.com

http://www.virgin.com/music/reviews/the-answering-machine-live-review-manchester-deaf-institute/

Live Review- La Roux Mystery Box Gig

ON SONG: La Roux excite the Manchester crowd

IT'S not everyday that Manchester city centre is littered with 4x4s on massive plinths and a huge Nissan themed box. But tonight you can't help but think that the hundreds browsing the delights of Primark, left running for the exits by the bassy tremors of booming electro coming from Piccadilly Gardens, are in for a good night.

An intrigued if not slightly expectant Mancunian audience awaits the chance to find out what’s in the Nissan Juke Mystery Box after having their shopping interrupted.

Warm up act, DJ Rebekah, ignites the crowd with spine tingling bass from her electro dance set with some foot tapping mixes that really get the crowd up for seeing the mysterious main event. She does drop in a few mainstream hits, like the brass based cheese-fest that is ‘We Speak No Americano’ by Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP. But on the whole her high tempo electro-techno fusion set really attracts the punters despite the odd slice of cheddar.

The curtain is finally drawn back and the stage lays empty. After a week worth of being drip fed clues, the cat is finally out of the bag, or should I say box, and it’s the Brixton based 80s throwbacks La Roux that are hitting the gardens this freezing Friday night.

The speakers, run ragged by the bassy warm up, are boomed back into life as iconic red-head lead singer, Elly Jackson, bounces into the limelight to hit single ‘I’m Not Your Toy’. Adorning a coat that looks like she’s giving a gorilla a piggy back, the 22 year-old really gets the crowd going and growing. But it seems that early on the cold has hit her throat as much as anything and you can’t help but think that she’s either not warmed up properly or she’s been eating sandpaper.

Debut single ‘Quicksand’ and its bouncy keyboard melody then really exposes her voice, she’s energetic as ever but just sounds stretched. Eeking out on the high notes, it’s not a good sign so early on in a gig as she cries: “Am I your possession, am I in demand.”

She prowls around the stage bucking her massive red side quiff like a cross between the pink panther and some sort of leather clad futuristic rooster as she flings off her bear rug of a coat. But she’s not comfortable, admitting to the crowd that she’s torn three ankle ligaments, limiting her dancing. The banter boys in the crowd were quick to suggest the ‘migraine skank’, which she thankfully doesn’t but it can’t stop her rhythmically hobbling around the stage.

Jackson leads the line really well, with some quality vocals as the band gets into its stride. Take funky synth album track ‘Colourless Colour’ for example, she hits all the right notes and leaves the baying crowd wondering how such a quality tune isn’t a single, as she sings: “We want to play but we have nothing left to play for.”

The enigmatic Jackson, backed up by a three piece band which includes the beanpole enthusiasm of drummer, William Bowerman, who bears an uncanny resemblance with Alphabeat front man Anders SG (especially during La Roux’s fittingly named track ‘Fascination’). The gig is as much of a visual spectacle as a showcase of the music, with eye catching neon and strobe lights and elevated keyboardists wowing the packed crowd.

The atmosphere is a strange one though, clearly a lot of the people who have turned up half way through had no idea that the gig was happening, so they probably aren’t all ardent La Roux fans. But by the time her trademark tune ‘In For The Kill’ kicks off, the crowd are jumping and beach balls are flying all over the place, even Jackson smashes the odd volley.

She’s backlit by some epic lighting and shows that the croakiness from earlier has long gone during an angelic interlude where she shows off her flawless range. All of this before hopping back into the trademark track’s high pitched synth backed chorus, singing: “I’m going in for the kill, I’m doing it for the thrill.”

The band, who are getting set for a re-scheduled US tour this November, have definitely given the crowd something to shout about and by the time farewell track, ‘Bulletproof’, comes on more than 1,000 people have packed the gardens. Despite a slow start, it’s all there to see that La Roux are a tight live band with vocal range and catchy tracks.

Having found out what was in the box, it’s safe to say that gift wrapped La Roux were far from an unwanted early Christmas present, but more of a welcome surprise.

Also published on www.virgin.com

http://www.virgin.com/music/reviews/la-roux-live-review-mystery-box-gig/