Support for tonight consisted of two UK hardcore outfits, Brotherhood of the Lake and Last Witness, of whom many seemed to be there for, donning their matching Witness beanies. Their set is slightly reminiscent of a young Your Demise, with room for growth.

The American metalcore band, commonly abbreviated to TDWP, create uproar as they walk onstage, starting with title song from their latest album Dead Throne. Even by just the second song, you could already begin to feel the musk of evaporated sweat rising to the roof.

With the tour being titled The Dead Throne Tour, aptly named after their latest 2011 release, they also mention that it is their first headlining tour in the UK and express their gratitude. They play an intense set of songs, such as ‘Born To Lose’, ‘HTML Rulez D00d’ and ‘Dez Moines’, with impressive front man Mike Hranica asking for crowd participation, which resulted in the crowd giving back with the  utmost amount of energy.

The lightning in this venue has never been the best and too much coloured lighting meant that half of the time, the band were made to look like Smurfs and the rest of the time, like 6 pieces of flubber. Nevertheless, the brightness matched the energy in the room. The lack of a front barrier evermore encouraged stage-diving and a continuous pit dominated the room, with people who did not want to participate left standing at the edges.

With a quick break before the encore, they returned with a brief yet concise speech about their beliefs and their purpose for being in a band before continuing with the relatively mild ‘Chicago’. Audience reaction to the final two songs illustrates how much these six guys from Ohio will be more than welcomed back to English shores.

The Devil Wears Prada – Danger: Wildman (live)

Yet again Air have shown they don’t do things by the book. Choosing to re-ignite the flame of 1902 sci-fi film Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon) with a soundtrack in homage to it, the omnipresent French electro-gods have defied expectations.

The album is about as chart-friendly as you would expect from a soundtrack to a 110 year-old science-fiction movie, yet still manages to hold an innate charm. Soft ambles ‘Moon Fever’ and ‘Seven Stars’ are juxtaposed with space-age stomps, such as the 5-minute ‘Sonic Armada’, which borrows more than a little of the Moon Safari charm. Nevertheless, this is not a collection likely to attract those not already fervent Air aficionados.

Although it could be seen as not a great deal more than glorified lift music, Air have once more maintained their inherent ability to do the most unexpected. Following the success of Le Voyage Dans La Lune at last year’s Cannes film festival, Air must be seen to have succeeded in their mission in bringing the one-time cinematic pioneer marching in to the 21^st century. Although many won’t be too interested in the new path of the grandfathers of electronica, it could well be an avenue of great promise. I like it.

Air – Parade

For some though, the New Year period represented something so indulgent, so forbidden, that it would seem to the mortal simply too good to be true. Three days of flawless electronic music, at what would be the last in the series of shows that has represented the danciest funeral march in club history.  Some, it seems, were lucky enough to see in the New Year at the Warehouse Project.

Three shows over the 30^th/31^st/1^st saw a plethora of musicians descend into the murky car park juxtaposed beneath a shiny, healthy Piccadilly. Foals played a sold out show on the 30^th with ample support from Jackmaster, working their spaced out, euphoric sound into every inch of the arena. Atmospheric rumbles from Spanish Sahara resonated from the VIP booth that’s a bit shit to the inside of each portaloo, which again, are a bit shit.

The 31^st handed the baton to Annie Mac, who provided a set of some electronica she thought would sound cool. Supported admirably by WHP favourites Fake Blood and Jaguar Skills, this New Year’s Eve party boasted proper DJs, whom admittedly did play ‘future bass’ – but there is something beautiful to be said about it when it’s not being played off a CD player or a mobile phone in a garage.

The 1^st was a groundbreaking moment for club music in Manchester, a party lasting from 5pm on the 1^st, ending at 5am on the 2^nd. Warehouse Project stalwart Julio Bashmore and up and coming producer Maya Jane Coles were both on the stellar bill, which included a headline slot from legend Laurent Garnier.

As the clock ticked down to ‘the end’, it was hard not to feel sad. Store Street has strained under the weight of so many great acts that at times it looked liked it could get no better. The place is associated with nothing but fantastic nights and even better music. It is common knowledge that you meet the most interesting people that have ever existed in the smoking area of a Warehouse Project – friends for life. Store Street however, will be resigned to the past this April when WHP will be revealing a new venue to contain its late night Easter-special debauchery, which will no doubt see a slight queue on opening night. Although the project has moved on, the venue will remain. Store Street is dead, long live Store Street.

Clichéd talk of ‘second album syndrome’ is commonplace these days, but a term pertaining directly to the dilemma a band faces after having delivered a convincing second record has yet to emerge – third album syndrome, perhaps? However you want to approach it, the Maccabees have rounded off an impressive opening hat-trick, already comprising the dainty pop of Colour It In and the indie rock leanings of Wall of Arms, with this month’s superb Given to the Wild. As well as meeting with the band’s highest ever chart position – entering at number four in its first week and frankly sticking out like a sore thumb whilst doing so – the record has clearly met with considerable acclaim from long-standing fans.

Tonight’s show at the Ritz sold out long before any new material had been released, yet reverential silence greets mellow set opener ‘Child’.  It’s a mark of the band’s confidence in the new album that they choose to frontload the set with a slew of tracks from it, with ‘Feel to Follow’, ‘Went Away’ and ‘Ayla’ all showcasing the band’s more expansive sound early on, a newfound maturity in frontman Orlando Weeks’ vocals married perfectly to soaring guitars. Older tracks are present and correct too, and it’s the likes of ‘X-Ray’ and ‘Can You Give It’ that demonstrate the strength in depth of the Maccabees back catalogue.

The potential on both record and stage is finally beginning to be borne out and tonight might ultimately prove a rare intimate performance, with the band already bound for London’s 10,000 capacity Alexandra Palace in June.

It’s impossible to recommend The Maccabees’ extensive March tour highly enough.

The Maccabees – Pelican (Radio 1 Live Lounge)

The Pogues’ reputation has taken a battering of late, with their place on the punk pantheon looking increasingly suspect. This loss of credibility, thanks in no small part to interminable “last ever” Christmas tours and last November’s hideous Tesco advert, should not distract from the band’s excellent discography. Tellingly, this excellence has been recognised by artists on both sides of the Atlantic, with bands such as Titus Andronicus and The Libertines quick to laud Shane McGowan and company. Indeed, even the most cursory inspection of The Pogues’ early career reveals a group with the precious ability to produce music that is at once innovative and anthemic.

The band’s first album, Red Roses For Me, was released to widespread acclaim in 1984 and remains the definitive example of the group’s unique sound. The unbridled creativity of the post-punk era is evident throughout the record, with the seven-piece seamlessly blending traditional Irish folk music with the raw energy of punk. The irrepressible McGowan is inevitably the album’s focal point, whether as a lead vocalist or songwriter. The English-born singer’s rasping tones imbue famous Irish ballads such as ‘Sea Shanty’ with a lecherous, desperate edge, while original compositions such as ‘Transmetropolitan’ and ‘Streams of Whiskey’ are timeless odes to being young, skint and drunk in the city.

Beneath the rugged tales of urban debauchery, however, the album contains a number of startlingly tender moments. Peter “Spider” Stacey’s tin whistle turns ‘The Auld Triangle’ into a haunting tale of imprisonment, which deliberately echoes the internment scandal of contemporary Northern Ireland. The album closes with the gorgeous ‘Kitty’, in which McGowan’s vocals are leant a wonderful vulnerability by James Fearnley’s accordion. It is this balance between the raw passion of punk and the delicate beauty of traditional folk which makes Red Roses For Me an album undiminished importance.

The Pogues – Kitty

Before being backed by choirs of African children, filming videos in New York penthouses and playing to as many Galaxy radio listeners they could squeeze into flat pack stadiums; Kings of Leon built a loyal UK fanbase with three raw, sleazy, frenetic albums. The pick of them for many is 2004’s Aha Shake Heartbreak.

Released shortly after their first effort Youth & Young Manhood, the sex and cocaine fuelled tales of their debut spilled over onto the follow up, with the opening track ‘Slow Night, So Long’ setting the scene for more debauchery. Frontman Caleb Followill charmingly takes us step by step through what doesn’t seem to be his proudest conquest with a track that builds and builds, before closing triumphantly with the killer line that seals the deal: “You’re not so nice but sex sells so cheap”. I’ll take that over ‘Use Somebody’ any day of the week.

The album continues at a frantic pace with a raw rock and roll sound accompanied by Caleb’s sometimes inaudible Tennessee vocals, leaving lines open to interpretation in the likes of ‘Taper Jean Girl’ and ‘Pistol of Fire’. This gives way to the tranquil fan-favourite ‘Milk’, one of the album’s more tender moments with a beautiful bass driven chorus before the tremendous single ‘The Bucket’ which gives us a sobering outlook of the non-stop rock and roll lifestyle.

‘Soft’ unashamedly takes us through a frustrating tale of erectile dysfunction and the party regains momentum with ‘Razz’ and the riotous ‘Four Kicks’ bringing the chaos back to the second half of the album. ‘Rememo’ then concludes proceedings with a soft, swaying song of reflection.

Aha Shake Heartbreak is the type of album rock and roll so sorely needs now, it’s a shame its creators are no longer capable of producing it.

Kings of Leon – The Bucket

Electronic metalcore? Post-hardcore electronica? Electronicore? As much as people argue about defining St Albans outfit Enter Shikari, more people should be focused on their new release A Flash Flood of Colour which brings a completely different sound, compared with 2007’s Take to the Skies and 2009’s Common Dreads, with even more outspoken political views reminiscent of The King Blues.

The album opens with ‘System…//…Meltdown’ which has a similar sound to the 2010 single ‘Destabilise’ but is in a completely different vein to their last two albums. Arguably, ‘Gandhi, Mate Gandhi’ is the most diverse song on the album and the most memorable, possibly because of its obscurity, with a break in lead vocalist Rou’s rant, where someone just says “Gandhi Mate, Remember Gandhi (Jesus, just remember)”. The album closer, ‘Constellations’, is very similar to ‘Adieu’ from their first release Take to the Skies, starting simply with a poetic feel with Rou’s distinctive voice.

However, while this album does take Enter Shikari in a new direction, the album seems to have lost flow compared to Take to the Skies which had numerous reprises that made each song flow into one another. Also, with the songs ‘Quelle Surprise’ and ‘Destabilise’ being released and hyped up before the album’s release, it seems stupid that neither are featured on the album.

A Flash Flood of Colour is a good album but those who prefer the older Enter Shikari and dislike lyrics of a political nature may be left disappointed. However, this album shows that Enter Shikari are not afraid to change their style and that this album, while slightly disappointing compared to its hype, shows great future for the band.

Enter Shikari – Arguing With Thermometers

Rarely does a band receive so much hype, for want of a better word (and notably from one source in particular), without actually releasing more than an EP’s worth of material. Well, now that we have one, Howler’s first proper album, America Give Up, what’s all the fuss about? Of course, we shouldn’t subject this album to anymore scrutiny than anything else, regardless of those obsessive flag wavers who shall remain un-named.

Front-man, Jordan Gatesmith, is unashamedly open in citing his musical influences and they’re certainly present for all to hear. Fuzzy walls of Spector-esque guitars, coupled with a rough and ready production, reminiscent of bands like Jesus and Mary Chain, really allow the no-frills music to take centre stage. Something that stands out is the band’s use of dynamics and texture which stops this record from just being half an hour of turn-up-to-10, fuzzy rock. The first track to be released ‘Back of Your Neck’ is a great example of this with the swirling backing vocals and the reverb clad lead guitar juxtaposing the angular and abrasive rhythm section.

What we’re getting from Howler isn’t a never before heard, original sounding album. What we’ve got is an album brimming with energy, a genuine piece of music, layered and packaged, creating tracks that stand up for themselves, in particular ‘Beach Sluts’, ‘America’ and ‘Back of Your Neck’. Howler seems to capture a mood lacking in recent times: unpretentious and to the point. They’re not trying to fool anyone, and for that I doff the proverbial.

Howler – Back of Your Neck

I was surprised to see Panic! At The Disco play to a sold out Apollo, considering their last two trips to Manchester saw them playing a much smaller Academy 1, during their peak. Over the past two years, they have brought back the ! in their name and seen two of their founding members quit, leaving them as a two-piece and taking additional touring members onto the road. However, their live shows haven’t suffered. In fact, the production seen on this bigger stage was quite impressive.

Playing a rather long set list with well balanced mixture of songs from their three album back catalogue, the 3500 people present were getting their money’s worth. There was the added bonus of an interesting cover of MJ’s ‘Billie Jean’, followed by a surprising rendition of The Darkness’ ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’. Weird, but extremely hard not to enjoy.  The loudest reaction, predictably, was from songs off their debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, and their biggest hit ‘I Write Sins, Not Tragedies’, where uproar was at its peak.

The crowd, surprisingly, was quite varied in terms of age, with a good amount of adults dotted around; who didn’t look like they were there to chaperone any kids, but were there purely for the music. This is definitely a change to the crowd I witnessed at their Manchester show back in 2008, where the majority was barely legal. The past few years have seen Panic! At The Disco deviate from a stereotyped “emo” band and appreciated for their music ability. Many had doubts that they would be able to continue success as a core two-piece, however based on this satisfyingly lengthy performance and the admiration from the crowd, it looks like Panic! will be back around soon enough.

Panic! At The Disco – Ready To Go

Jazz has got an image problem. Just reading the word sends people scurrying away in fear. It shouldn’t be this way. I was bitten by the Jazz bug early and I’ve loved it ever since. Hopefully by giving some reasons why I can encourage those more open-minded readers to take the plunge and learn to love Jazz too.

What people always seem unaware of is the sheer variety of musical styles that come under the umbrella of Jazz. It’s a musical style straddling more than 100 years so it’s quite a large umbrella with something for everyone. Robert Glasper is a pianist and producer whose hip-hop infused Jazz has seen him collaborate with everyone from J Dilla to Jay-Z. Glasper gigs often turn into impromptu jam sessions with the likes of Mos Def and Kanye-West. He even plays Radiohead and Nirvana. Not the realm of the cocktail pianist I’m sure you’ll agree.

For the fans of the more aggressive genre, I offer up Pharoah Sanders. As well as having one of the coolest names you’re ever likely to hear, this saxophonist coaxes screams from his instrument that wouldn’t sound out of place in the most depraved of horror films. In ‘Olé’ from the album Heart Is A Melody, ‘The Pharoah’ builds his improvisation to an emotional intensity and then, with nowhere else to go, takes the saxophone out of his mouth and bellows into the audience. Why? That’s for the listener to decide.

Jazz is an anything goes genre. Quite literally anything can happen and that’s the excitement. This isn’t a music where the band turn up and crank out their hits. This is a music that dares to be different, every single night. Give it a try.

Robert Glasper – Downtime

Pharoah Sanders – You Got To Have Freedom

Fast-forward twenty years and it’s a very different world. Last Friday saw the release of The Chemical Brothers’ debut film Don’t Think. Taken from a concert with what’s considered to be one of the band’s most receptive audiences, the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, the 85-minute theatrical roller coaster documents the true experience of the band’s live performance. Brought to us in high definition and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound (I realise that doesn’t really mean very much to almost all of us, apart from the fact that it’s fucking loud), the truly terrifying nature of the band’s notorious clown insignia is brought to a harrowing reality, that even the most sinister of horror films would find it hard to convey.

Yes, this production may just be seen as a self-indulgent, glorified gig. Nevertheless, whilst other Mancunian acts from their time are dredging through the past to gain one final payout off the back of a comeback tour, The Chemical Brothers are still pioneers within their field. Long gone are the days of one slick-hipped young gentleman being the accompaniment to dance music; the industry is moving at a rapid rate and on this evidence, it’s only going to get better.

Full trailer for Don’t Think

After witnessing the high interaction and intensity seen from both band and audience via the Liverpool show at The Magnet and despite the band calling this show “the best show of the tour so far”, I still had high expectations of the Manchester show at Moho.

Starting with current album opener ‘Holy Fuck’, and including a string of classics ‘New Disaster’, ‘This Is Dungeon Music’ and crowd favourite ‘Green Eyes’, they play their way through an enduring set- tight guitars, even tighter backing rhythm and vocals loaded with rawness.

The only disappointment was not from the band itself, who provided an exciting set that was more than pleasing, but from the abnormally lacklustre crowd. Maybe this was due to the majority of the audience being relatively new listeners of the band, since their latest release Avalanche United is their first since 2005, or purely for the fact that it is a Sunday night leading up to one of the most stressful weeks of the seasonal calendar.

Despite the bizarre lack of movement for a typical punk show, the audience were still fully attentive and I Am The Avalanche continued to display their impressive collection of songs to the fullest, with heightened levels of energy and rawness, which subsequently encouraged the crowd to get more involved. The second half of the set was much more receptive, with singer Vinnie Caruana and the crowd singing in unison to current single ‘Brooklyn Dodgers’ which received the loudest sing-a-long of the night.

The acutely solid performance from the five piece was definitely worth the wait. Luckily, UK fans won’t have to wait long to see them again-next up is a support slot on the highly anticipated UK Tour with Brand New. Let’s just hope Manchester actually represents in February.

To see our review of I Am The Avalanches’ most recent album, Avalanche United, click here.

A fair amount of hype surrounded Nicolas Jaar’s return to Manchester, performing for the first under his own Clown and Sunset label. Having played in Leeds the night before, Sound Control provided the setting for the second UK leg of his Don’t Break My Love world tour. By 11pm, hordes of fans had begun to cram themselves into the venue, anticipating a musical experience to remember.

Nico recently topped the Resident Advisor 2011 Live Act poll, cementing his place as a world-class minimal producer. His style is unique and encompasses elements of techno, jazz, soul and a large amount of miscellaneous. I was curious to find out whether he would adapt his downtempo style in favour of a more crowd-friendly set. His arrival on stage, accompanied by a single guitarist, marked an opening 45 minutes that largely consisted of tunes from his latest album and current EP. A slow build up eased the crowd into a few hours of soulful, fist-pumping grooves. The crowd – well, those not shunned away due to capacity limitations – lapped up every second. Tunes such as ‘Stay In Love’ and ‘Owe Me’ were dropped with consummate precision, creating an effortless flow between tracks that many DJs simply fail to achieve.

When retreating for a fag towards the end of the set, it was clear that at least 200 people were unable to get upstairs. I cannot criticise the management of Sound Control enough for this. They had obviously oversold the tickets, and there were even rumours of having to pay an extra £15 to get back upstairs. After saying “bollocks to that” I retreated down a level, only to find Scuba and Damu tearing it up. They were arguably on par with Jaar; Scuba in particular ripped through banger after banger. The fist-pumping, chemical induced atmosphere was pretty special and proved to be a fantastic distraction to the whole not-being-allowed-upstairs palaver.

Again, if it wasn’t for the oversold nature of the gig, it would’ve been completely spectacular. Should Nico play Manchester again in the near future then I sincerely hope I am able to get a ticket. I also sincerely hope it’s not at Sound Control.

Nicolas Jaar – Stay in Love

Area 52 is without a doubt the most expansive record that Rodrigo y Gabriela has produced to date. Despite being comprised of nine songs from their back catalogue, the album marks a distinct departure from the duo’s rugged acoustic tone and style. With the help of C.U.B.A. – a 13-piece band, from, you guessed it, Cuba – the tracks are infused with horns, pianos and salsa-driven rhythms.

However, the layers of intricate melodies, and the sheer variety of sounds do not necessarily add to our enjoyment of the guitarists’ undeniable talent. The openers, ‘Santa Domingo’ and ‘Hanuman’ feel a bit muddled and songs such as ‘Logos’ are almost dreary. You may even begin to imagine yourself sitting in a low-budget tapas restaurant, sipping on a lukewarm Bacardi mojito. The raw passion that fuels Rodrigo y Gabriela’s live performances is diluted by lengthy and elaborate instrumental excursions. Their intention was clearly to bolster their simple two guitar set up, but the subsequent effect almost masks their own individual virtuosity, and chemistry as a pair.

‘Diablo Rojo’ and ‘Tamacun’ do stand out on their own as two memorable tunes that pack some sort of a punch. The rolling beats are easy on the ear and showcase the technical ability of not only Rodrigo and Gabriela, but the backing band as well. If you are keen to admire some outstanding musical technique and instrumentation then the album might be up your alley. For the casual listener, it might prove to be a bit much.

Credit is due for the daring nature of the record, and the skill involved in its production. The group has moved in an adventurous direction, and despite the shortcomings of the tracks on offer here, it is clear to see that they are unafraid to take risks as a growing collective. In my eyes though, to get a full impression of how good Rodrigo y Gabriela actually are you have to see their live performances. It’s a shame that you cannot rely on their albums alone.

Rodrigo y Gabriela – Diablo Rojo (live)

Finding a position at a gig used to be simple, usually involving getting as close to the front as possible, mistaking cramped dance moves for some form of sexual initiation rite, before finally getting covered in what you hoped was just a pint of warm lager. It is a credit therefore to The Drums appeal (even if it does leave me having a post-teen crisis) that I find it difficult to decide where to stand, the front stalls packed with teenage girls and the rear taken up by an older crowd, all of whom seem to be sporting Smiths shirts (“original, not a copy” as one such wearer explains to me).

The Drums come on to a rapturous welcome and as they burst into ‘What You Were’, it’s instantly apparent why they appeal across the age ranges. Catchy melodies and up-tempo beats get the crowd moving, with vocalist Jonathan Pierce keeping the crowd enraptured by his easy yet odd manner. Drawling on dark subjects in between songs, Pierce lets slip a wry smile, a more relaxed side to the band’s usually uptight front shining through with this being the last date of a lengthy tour.

New tracks such as ‘Money’ stand up with old favourites ‘Best Friend’ and ‘I Need Fun In My Life’, yet many tracks sound rushed and dangerously similar. The set ends abruptly as, after a brief gap and a resulting encore, the band finish with ‘Searching for Heaven’, a bleak Thom Yorke style yowl, during which most people dash to the bar in preparation for the anticipated ‘Let’s go Surfing’ ending that sadly never arrives. A sense of disappointment lingers on leaving, yet what The Drums have achieved so far is impressive. One can only hope that time can now be set aside to fulfil their potential.

To see our review of The Drums’ most recent album, Portabello, click here

The Drums – Me and the Moon (live)

Apollo

28th January

4.5 stars

Given the names following them tonight, you’d be forgiven for expecting Belgian openers Triggerfinger to play a safe set and just get the job done. You would also be wrong. Storming, and in frontman Ruben Block’s case dancing, through a sometimes groove laden, sometimes erratic set, Triggerfinger’s infectious hooks pull you in one moment and, with a quick flourish, toss you aside the next. An impressive, but perhaps cocky set.

Clutch, however, are no nonsense. Bursting right into a long support slot brimming with Neil Fallon’s casual yet commanding swagger, it doesn’t take long to get the crowd going. Opting for a song choice more rooted in the band’s later, bluesy style, clearly trying to win over new fans. It works. With early unconvinced head-bobbing evolving into foot-stomping and then into a frenzy to rival any headlining band anywhere. With a closing punch including ‘The Mob Goes Wild’, ‘Cypress Grove’ and ‘Electric Worry’, they leave Thin Lizzy with one hell of a warmed up crowd, but also one hell of a performance to beat.

Before the band even appears, I hear numerous rumblings of, “No Phil Lynott, no Thin Lizzy.” Despite paying for a ticket, it’s clear that many are unconvinced with this incarnation of the band, featuring drummer Brian Downey as the only original member. This is an opinion the band refuses to let stand. After bursting through a set of Lizzy classics with some of the most technically able players in the world, nobody in The Apollo could be left with any doubt of the members respect to the legacy of the band. People can argue all they like about whether they’re really Thin Lizzy or just a glorified cover band. The fact of the matter is, they still absolutely smash it.

Jean-Paul Gaster Interview

When musing over a night’s performance, it’s natural to think over the highs and lows of the evening. With support from The Chevin, proceedings were off to a promising start with their guitar fuelled indie tunes warming things up. Playing to a mix of old and young, White Lies’ dark themes, coupled with their large anthemic sound, have drawn comparisons to such bands as Joy Division, however it’s unfair to say that they haven’t generated their own sound.

With the release of their second album Ritual, White Lies have a wealth of material to draw on, however it’s not had quite the same reception as the band’s debut To Lose My Life… Despite this it still musters a warm response, with songs like ‘Is Love’ and ‘Turn the Bells’ being particular highlights. And this takes me back to my initial point, and the exploration of the other side of the coin – low points. The problem is there weren’t any as such, the light show was intricate and varied, the bands sound clear and defined, although singer Harry McVeigh could do with livening up his mid-song crowd interaction as apposed to the stock *insert city here* formula. But this is still no reason to criticise, the problem is the gig format in itself surprisingly. Despite many crowd pleasing favourites, there is a strong sense of deja vu as we plod through the set list, exploring many of the same musical themes and approaches.

White Lies have got a bright future after their difficult second album, but haven’t shown any great progression from their first just yet. As gig experiences go, this weaved in and out of sublime and mundane, but given time and freedom these guys have the potential to produce something very special.

White Lies – To Lose My Life

Shortly before their show at Moho Live, Manchester, I caught up with the band’s vocalist and founder Vinnie Caruana.

Q: So how has the tour been so far?

It’s been amazing man – it’s been really fun.

Q: Any highlights?

Liverpool was the highlight so far. The show was moved coz the venue got shutdown a week before the show, so we went to this tiny little room and it got packed out, and everyone was freaking out. It felt good, and we caught our groove.

Q: How do the crowds compare from the US to the UK?

Um, at the moment we do have more support in the United States, but that’s because we’ve been there for a while. But the UK is…I’m impressed with everybody, you know?

The fact that there’s anybody coming to see us is really cool, coz we’ve neglected them. And I think it’s a testament to the reception of the new record – people are really enjoying it, and the reviews have been great, and we’re really thankful.

Next time we come here we’ll be supporting a bigger band, and we’ll continue to build on what we’re doing.

Q: Which band?

Yeah, we’re playing with a band called Brand New, and they do quite well…

Q: So how come it took so long for you to release your second album?

We toured for about three years after the release of that record and um…we wanted to go home and just live life at home for a bit, so we slowly wrote the record and slowly recorded the record, and then it was time – it was time to get back to business, you know?

But yeah, we kinda took a little break and enjoyed our families and our friends…

We have a lot of work to do, you know? We have a very small fan base in the UK, but they’re dedicated and they’re loyal, and it’s growing. That’s what we’re doing over here – just playing for them.

Q: You played your first show over here, right?

First show ever, yeah, in Kingston. Err, an offer came though, “Yeah do you wanna come over to the UK?”, and [I said], “Yeah, let’s make that our first show.”

So I put a band together, and then we went to the UK. (We didn’t have a band. I recorded everything by myself – all the demos and all that stuff.) I thought it might be a cool thing to do and it was. It was really cool.

Q: How are you finding Manchester?

It’s amazing – Manchester’s great, man. This is a good city – it’s got a lot of character. I’m also glad – sometimes when we show up to a city it’s like “Oh great, I can’t wait to see that city”, and we’re like on the outer limits of the city – it’s nice to be right in the middle of Manchester.

We got to walk around today, and I’m gonna walk around and see some sights.

I Am The Avalanche have just completed their tour of the UK with support from Apologies, I Have None and Hostage Calm. They will be back in February next year supporting Brand New on their sell out tour.

I Am The Avalanche – Brooklyn Dodgers (Official Video)

With a half empty room of relaxed viewers, this actually worked to the show’s advantage. The inviting intimacy was present from the very start, with one man acoustic persona Into It. Over It., who received full attention and appreciation from everyone present as he talked and sang his way through his catalogue of memories and journeys, successfully carved into beautifully melodic songs. With an impressive set of vocals and an instantly likable character, the audience are likely to welcome him back when he returns next year.

Next is pop punk trio Broadway Calls, who picked up the pace and played a very good set- easy on the ears and also easy to appreciate. Nothing explosive, but sufficient enough to keep people’s eyes to the stage rather than the bar.

The Swellers take over to make their way through a well thought out set of songs that will appeal to fans old and new. With the majority present being relatively new followers, the band are more than gratuitous. They open with new song ‘Runaways’ from latest album Good For Me, before smoothly working their way through favourites ‘Dirt’, breakthrough single ‘Fire Away’, ‘Sleeper’ and ‘2009’,  whilst also slotting in classics from their debut.

With a pleasant and welcoming aura, it is apparent that the crowd and band share the same amount of respect for each other. Although movement seen was limited, the mutual appreciation of everyone in the room made the atmosphere more special than any amount of circle pits or sychronised bouncing could achieve. Genuine band and genuine audience- I’m pretty sure that everyone involved will be more than happy to relive the night again at the next given opportunity. Let’s hope its not too long before they decide to return.

Many people had already made their minds up about this record before it was even released, or were hesitant at the least. With a departure of keyboardist Josh Lyford, the band had the task of creating a standard, expected from their long term followers, Four Year Strong who will be wanting to progress to a wider array of listeners, have produced a rather good selection of songs. Not astounding from a typical pop punk album by any means, but still pretty impressive.

Blasting straight into ‘The Infected’ with enough punch for an undecided listener to continue on, it is evident that the now four piece are still true to their sound. Single ‘Stuck In The Middle’ is one of the stand out tracks, along with ‘Falling on You’, both of which have received their fair share of streaming across social networks over recent months.

The raspy vocal interchanges between bearded frontmen Alan Day and Dan O’Connor always brings an additional value to the rhythmic set of guitars and solid drumming, most apparent in tracks ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Fight The Future’. A response to those doubting their efforts? Just take a listen to ‘Fairweather Fan’, where they shout out “You’re becoming what I hated, close-minded and jaded about what isn’t yours”, whilst also giving a shout out to their previous album, Rise Or Die Trying.

The disappointment is ‘Just Drive’, which sounds like a filler track- mediocre verses with a chorus only slightly better.  However, recovering from this with final track ‘Only The Meek Get Pinched, the Bold Survive’ shows the bands softer side, creating a softer melodic piece with an anthemic chorus that is most likely to be sang back to them at their future shows.

Overall, a good addition to the Four Year Strong music stream of powerful pop punk.