The sign on the wall beside the entrance to Night & Day proclaims yet another full house, and the heat already feels close in the venue. It’s that dimmer-switch cosiness that always seems down to the ambient lighting subtly blending in with the dead friendly nature of the kind of chilled-out folk that always seem drawn here when there is a sell out event, and tonight is no different, with a friendly crowd jammed into the venue.
THE WOMBATS were first up, and the Liverpool three-piece proceeded to tear through their set without so much as a pause for breath. With smiles like synchronised swimmers and songs about their GPs, the applause rained thick and lavishly upon them, as did Pop’s muse.
‘Take the staccato spikiness of the 4 chord opener “She’s not that beautiful”, all gathering momentum and increased psychosis, with mantra-styled vocals and a cabinet full of Prozac weighing it in for good measure. No wonder they hail and immortalise their doctors in song, as follow-up ‘Suzanne’ tears along the same uncompromising path with no mercy.
Latest single ‘Lost In The Post’ has a big beat drive with surefire melodics holding it all together, as we go from Poppins to Lear in the time it takes to light a cigarette. Dropped out harmonies and that full on sound that is the doyen of the 3 part rock group permeate their irresistible set completely, and their efforts sure aren’t wasted on a crowd that is lavish with its appreciation.
XEROX TEENS are built around the spoken word, a tongue-in-cheek delivery, and a thumping bass sound that keeps the toes a tapping as insanity seems to loom large upon us all. This second solid support act wasted no time in scorching their own indelible mark upon the evening with a cavalcade of tunes from straight off the shrink’s leather couch.
‘Onkawara’ is one such rambling slice of psychosis, with cod-mental vocal screamings building up around the cyclical bass. This is synthesiser-thickened electric soup with strange ingredients indeed. All their tunes follow the same crazed and compulsive pattern, and according to the clapometer’s reading, they may just have the recipe for success!
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But it was GOOD SHOES that this crowd had come to see, and on they came to rapturous applause. Rhys mumbled some ol’ line about it previously being quite quiet when the band had visited Manchester in the past, but it was instantly drowned out as the lights went down and the Morden-based foursome tore into their arrogant take on punk, all razor-sharpened stickle bricks and Mockney mumblings.
OK, so it was, at seven songs, a very short set. But you could argue that it was a case of ‘quality, not quantity’, as the band fed a constant stream of their own classics into the short sharp shock of their delivery. ‘The Photos On My Wall’ was a winner, as was ‘Ice Age’, the angular grooves slicing through the conscience quick to induce a frenzy up at the front.
‘We Are Not The Same’ was the killer tune, and a soundtrack to the bouncing stage-front, guitars splashing into the bassline and mad bastard percussion. It was a much improved performance, and one that suggested strongly that the band were simply waiting for Manchester to get it at last, which tonight they finally did.
Ending with a spirited version of ‘All In My Head’ they were suddenly gone and the lights went up to reveal a breathless and smiling crowd who were rapt with joy. It’s been another brilliant night at Night & Day, and all the bands contributed to the final collective feeling of well-being, so well played y’all!!
http://www.myspace.com/thewombatsuk
http://www.myspace.com/xeroxteens
http://www.myspace.com/goodshoes
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