Situated halfway between Bolton and Bury, Radcliffe is the archetypal forgotten town. Sparse and frequented only by the locals despite being included in the metrolink network, the pubs are strange, insular, or rough places and at nights the place has a deserted outpost feel. The market has died off over recent years, replaced by the 24 hour ASDA that glows in the dark across the road from the shitty bus station in the town centre.
100 yards down from the said Metrolink, and directly across the road from two fine kebab houses and a taxi rank, Radcliffe’s premier (in fact, only) live music venue sees one of the North-West’s most eccentric and impressive outfits THE PLANETS take Friday’s top billing. Two months in existence, the upstairs venue is comfortable and has the look and feel of a legendary dive, with the raised stage, alcove seating plan and back wall bar knocking out sensibly priced drink to a sparse crowd that got steadily bigger as the night progressed. Relaxed and friendly, it was pretty much a cross section of the local heads, from young ‘uns to groups of couples in their 40’s.
I got there just before 10pm, halfway through a discordant, somewhat scrappy set from the rookie support outfit that echoed off the still-empty venue’s walls – but as the place filled up, so The Planets proceeded to rip it up! Their opener saw bits falling off guitars and there were broken strings to boot, with the support act remaining sportingly still on hand to lend a guitar, once the song had ground to a thunderous and messy halt.
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“Crazy Fake” came next, sounding dark and jagged, followed by ‘Plastic Robots’, a song that signalled the melodic descent into 100mph vocal territory. ‘Little Flies’ tore along in a similar fashion - vitriolic, spitting and angst ridden, yet still dripping with unquestionably British eccentricity.
There was a ‘Band Surprise’ five tracks in, as Evans signalled the airing of a brand new tune, in keeping with the ever-gathering momentum, before at last they slowed down the tempo.
It was the superb ‘Gene and Vincent’ that provided us with the one delicate moment of the evening, and this is where the group’s undoubted feel for a killer melody shone out, the cinematic ditty proving to be an irresistible break from the chaos
It was a short set – just ten numbers in all, crammed into just half an hour and cranked right up. Evil Dead was another cinematic ode pumped out at full volume. It signalled onstage freakout fuelled by self-abandonment, and drew smiles aplenty, as did the closing number, the band’s acidic rendition of the Queen belter, ‘Seaside Rendezvous’.
All in all, a great night at a new venue was had by all. The Planets, once again, proved themselves undoubtedly as ones to watch during 2008.
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