I was set to interview Little Comets in the early evening. It has to be said, I did wander down to the Academy mulling over what was a truly lovely evening in Manchester. I've never seen Oxford Road, usually rife with student life, so quiet. A balmy sun setting over the 'promised land'.
Little Comets are great bunch of amiable lads from Newcastle. Kind of them to offer a brew in a plastic Klix water fountain cup > PG Tips with a sugar cube. The best combination, which went down very smoothly whilst the next 10 minutes unravelled. They discussed their retro influences, how they stand out the from the saturated indie market where theres's so many generic bands who hold their guitars horizontally rather than rock-sound diagonally, also how the remainder of 2012 is going to play out and their hopes and dreams for new single Jennifer- the soundtrack to my day today, with that single being an example: their licks are contagious, watch out.
Lead singer Rob then humbly retired to his book, the band dispersed to sample Oxford Road's cuisine, and anticipation grew for their eagerly-awaited Manchester concert.
In the meantime, I hung around in their dressing room (not like a weirdo) and caught some time with one of the support bands Bwani Junction. I was keen to chat to The 1975, considering they'd played at AKA in Banbury, my hometown, a couple of weeks previous. Alas, the 70s boys never showed up, and Bwani Junction were kind enough to donate 5 minutes to tell me about their incredible triumphs at the Scottish Music Awards - a kin to our Mercury's. The boys have infact been nominated for Album of the Year and they can proudly boast themselves Best Newcomer. They're a band to watch for sure.
I retreated from the luxurious top-floor dressing room, overlooking the many referb works on Manchester Uni, descended the most ridiculous, Hogwarts-esque spiral staircase and let the evening roll on.
I love Academy2 as a venue, it's the best of the 3 in my opinion. Somehow they've just got the whole ambience spot on. There is always space to stand and enjoy the music. It's never cramped, and they seem to book a really wholesome list of artists. Because of the tall ceiling and the square shaped aesthetics of the room, the sound really has a chance to spread its wings and engulf the crowd. Upstairs in Academy3, the sound doesn't have a chance to breath. The room is too small for any atmosphere to build.
Bwani Junction took to the stage. At this point, I still wasn't aware of their music. Sure I'd interviewed them shortly before, but it was a spur of the moment thing where I was being enlightened about their history and projects just as much as anybody else listening. Fortunately, the band blew me away! Would have been very embarrassing if they were dire... Their riffs had power and pace, their melodies intriguing and catchy. Overall, I loved the sound, particularly a song called My Body, My Mind. Really sweet tune. I have to recommend this outfit really highly, was so impressed by their performance!
You can hear both Bwani Junction and Little Comets on upcoming Source podcasts from Shock Radio. Both interviews will be out soon, very excited to spread this music far and wide.
Before we move on to The 1975, Bwani have a new music video out- it's actually really annoyed Network Rail because the film was set near a famous railway bridge, which NR had just painted red... the video clearly shows the lads painting it blue! The riffs in this tune are incredible though. Enjoy and share.
The 1975 strutted on to the stage with an obvious allure, mystery and attitude. Immediately their music caught my attention. It builds with complexity throughout. Each song slightly different but just as interesting as the last. I was hooked...and in no small part down to the character of the lead singer. It was his flat peak and hood that caused a slight stir in my head. Initially I took a distaste to his over-confident self-assurance, but as the gig went on, I decided he was actually a brilliant front man. His attitude made it almost impossible for your concentration to waiver. His confidence was more selfless than I originally thought, it's infectious, and it makes the audience trust what the band are doing. There's no unnecessary drama here, just in-your-grill down-right sweet indie tunes. They're a band that grow on you in this respect, they'll hook you from the start then have you begging for more by the end. They're hard to track down though, going through their band life with a few different names, 'The 1975' is one that has now stuck and they're signed to Dirty Hit Records - same as Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Little Comets. They're the label to watch, they're bringing the heat this year!
Impressed by The 1975, I was eagerly awaiting Little Comets... So when they burst onto stage with Worry, easily the most contagious and riff-heavy tune I hold dear in my iTunes catalogue, they'd captured the crowd in one fell swoop. Starting strong, then progressing to lesser known, equally appreciated, but slower indie songs... the gig for me went slightly by the wayside a few songs in. I could feel attention drifting. Yet, the clawed it back with a whole host of melodies, driven by pacey guitars, deep bass and energetic drum patterns. By the time the incendiary of Jennifer, Isles, Adultery, One Night In October and Dancing Song had resonated in the Academy2, the floor was shaking and the crowd were pumped.
They dispatched a range of songs from their latest Worry EP, the forthcoming Jennifer And Other Stories work and their acclaimed album In Search Of The Elusive Little Comets. It's pretty hard to pick any faults in their live performance. The ultimate test for a band is how to replicate the accuracy and clarity of studio work in a gig environment, whilst delivering it with the intensity a live audience craves, but these guys had no trouble in this department. Vocally sound and instrumentally tight, they have earned their reputation as one of the hottest guitar based indie bands tearing up the circuit in the UK.
Cheers to the Bwani Junction / Little Comets for their time. Great gig, and soon to be featured on The Source on Shock Radio. Podcast is currently available to download with a new one out next week!
