This was April's instalment of the monthly showcase at KroBar put on by new venue-hopping promoters Hey! Manchester, who pride themselves on offering gig-goers something a little different from the average live showcase.
'Experimental' was how I'd have summed up the music, and the night as a whole and sho'nuff, one glance at the promotion spiel confirms that this is the gist exactly. Now, read on and see how many times you can spot a substitute word.
KroBar is a now a repetitive (no, not experimental) fixture of the landscape in central Manchester(and probably in cities across the nation). This one was the first in town, and despite having been in operation for many years, it can't help but retain the original building's built-to-last townhouse feel. Open doors and windows with beer gardens to the front and rear see a constant turnover of folk coming and going, and the feel is that of a (rather posh) house party in full swing.
The plentiful leather upholstery upstairs complimented the whole
drawing-room aesthetic, whilst fire doors were swung open to offer a superb chillout setting with views: well, across the back to the student-happy Jabez Clegg at least. Potential drawbacks, like the shite acoustics, and the absence of a stage became automatic virtues in keeping with the open house
aesthetic, as delays in setting up the sound put back the kick off time until it fitted in with the party spirit.
Headliners were intriguing Cambridge collective THE PONY COLLABORATION, over halfway through their first UK tour, and fresh from recording a session for the Revolution's former Paris Angel SCOTT CAREY's 'Transmission' show that's due to be aired this Thursday (19th April) between 10pm and midnight. In
support, there were also three acts from closer to home.
MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN fitted the evening's 'experimental' billing like a glove - their Casio-orientated bleep & chime thickened pulse is just the sort of deliberately discordant artificial noise that is so especially predisposed to emphasising pop's muse. 'Bad Wizard' and 'Winter People' were
both aired, and added to the evening's intriguing billing by living up to it superbly.
Next up were (to give them their full title) TIM AND SAM'S THE TIM AND SAM BAND WITH TIM AND SAM. This folk-based outfit were eight strong, enough to match The Pony Collaboration's numbers and with cello, clarinet and violin forming the backbone of their sound, their low-key ambient trance had a full-bodied glow from the strings out. Delicate vocal harmonies washed over
the room from in between arpeggios and incidental glockenspiel
accompaniment, as these folk troubadors impressed with understated ease.
AT SWIM TWO BIRDS is essentially the brainchild of MONTGOLFIER BROTHERS front man Tom Quigley. With darker, moodier solo material on offer, the band were quick to add their own impressive take on the trance-cendental feel to what was by now the musical tone of the evening. Gentle pickup sounds and
|
dreamy vocals shimmered at the forefront of their jam creation, and the response was warm - parts of their set held me spellbound, and in a room with no acoustics whatsoever, this was no mean achievement.
It was late when the main attraction got their turn, and the audience had thinned a little, allowing a decent view of the performance area for the first time that evening. Like myself, it was mostly made up of those who have been blown away by the debut album, and the collective breath was held a little as we finally got the chance to hear what they held up like live.
They began with 'Don't Stay', and the hook of the keys together with the harmonies had time to grab us before the surging drums and all the rest swept us away, strings and all.
'Slumming Expedition' followed, and the glock's intervention punctuated the easy flow of the band's set. Warming up now, and clearly enjoying themselves, this was a sublime performance riding high on the back of unconditional love.
Strings a go-go, 'The Lay Of The Land' was another bouncing triumph of folksy orchestration, before the awesome pull of 'The Fast Lane' showcased the upbeat, down at heel side of this ensemble to perfection.
New tracks 'No Reunions' and 'If These Are Good Times' bounced hard as a premonition of the next album, whist 'Dust' shimmered in a shroud made up of acoustic guitar and violin.
'Leaving With Your Heart' was their beautiful and bittersweet parting shot, as the darlings of indie label Series 8 concluded this applause inducing set with style and ease. They had hammered through their set at 100mph, but left no heart untouched along the way.
It's late when we hit the street, but it's been a belter, and it isn't raining: what a result!Promoters Hey! Manchester are back with sets from Vinny Peculiar amongst others, so look out for their second Friday of every month shindigs, as this one beat all the odds on it's way to being a fantastic night out!
www.myspace.com/heymanchester
www.myspace.com/mysideofthemountain
www.myspace.com/timandsamstimandthesambandwithtimandsam
www.myspace.com/atswimtwobirds
www.myspace.com/theponycollaboration
http://www.revolutiononline.co.uk
|
