Times New Viking / Lovvers
@ The Corner, Fallowfield
22nd September
Liam Astley
4 out of 5
I’m not sure what to make of The Corner. With its crumbling walls and ratty décor, not to mention bizarre toilet layout, the seven-month-old phase IV of Trof’s plan to conquer Manchester left me feeling a bit cold. It’s like the venue equivalent of pre-distressed jeans.
However the Stop Making Sense and Pineapple Folk DJs helped warm me to the place. Any bar that plays some of our favourite songs followed by a track from of our all-time favourite albums (69 Love Songs by The Magnetic Fields) is destined to charm.
So the bands themselves? After a disappointing effort by Manchester’s own Mazes, Lovvers had the advantage of looking good by comparison. They didn’t need the leg-up though, playing a great set of short fiery garage-rock that seemed to reach down the corridor-like venue and grab you by the ear. They’re a band who come with a lot of baggage these days, with accusations of being shambolic or affected or both, but this correspondent saw a tight four piece who brought the fun without getting indulgent.
On record, Ohio’s Times New Viking seem determined to test how far they can push what are basically indie-pop songs into the noise-rock territory, with a production method that sounds like it consists of two megaphones and a wheelie bin. Live, with the gain turned down to more normal levels, what strikes you is how classically catchy their songs are. After five years of touring the world they still seem to be enjoying it, and the admitted advantage to a cupboard-sized venue is that it’s easy for the feeling to become infectious. We left at the end of the night with beaming smiles and ringing ears, what more could you ask for?
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