A Lesson In Why You Should Get There Early & See The Support Band
Show openers Critics played their set as if they were headlining the arena and they sounded very pleasing to the ear with a handful of anthems with big balls. Even with what started out sounding like their weakest song "Addiction" they built up into a massive tune with some great falsetto sounds. It was an enjoyable opening set.
But it was second act ‘M O S E S’ who proved to be an absolute revelation though. Seeing great support bands like this is the reason you should turn up early to shows and not just stay in the bar until the headliners turn up.
They tore the roof off the Club Academy.
Then reached up 3 floors and tore the roof off the whole building.
Energy has a lot to answer for and its something they have absolutely bags of. You couldn’t take your eyes off of frontman Victor but if you could for even a second you’d have seen guitarist Juno shredding the absolute shit out of his strings or Matt beating the crap out of his kit.
The music stands up too with huge songs you could pick up instantly and join in the raucousness. Brilliant band. Check em out and thank me later.
As the lights went down the sirens started. If there was a band that could easily follow the previous one it was The Virginmarys. Heroes all three of them and they got the hometown welcome they deserved. This on a night that Manchester heroes Stone Roses are playing their second night to 60,000 people at the Etihad across town, it was great to see the discerning audience show up for this great band.
They shared tracks from their latest, second album, 'Divides' and not one of them was met with anything short of hysteria. They have already firmly planted themselves in the psyche of the fans so much so that many of them already feel like old classics.
As for the genuine old classics… they get a rapturous welcome. With the audience giving everything they have to sing along and match Ally’s intensity. When it comes to the likes of "Bang Bang Bang" and "Portrait of Red" especially, the volume of the crowd is raised yet another level.
The fact that this gig had been moved from the larger Academy 2 to Club Academy only added to the electrifying feeling in the venue. Shouldn’t all gigs be hot, sweaty, noisy and passionate affairs? Course they should.
If you’ve never had your innards rumbled by Matt’s bass, never felt the passion of Ally’s vocals cut straight through you or witnessed Danny beat 7 shades of living shit out of his drum kit... then you haven’t lived – and it’s something you should rectify at your earliest convenience.
