http://www.myspace.com/gentlemusic
http://www.myspace.com/theaudiblesband
This could well be the coldest, wettest night of the year so far, but despite the non-stick snow, sleet and freezing wind, good old Friday night prevails again, which means that the Roadhouse is filling up nicely, the numbers swelled even further by the presence of friends and followers. Both Manchester-based support acts are well represented, and by half eight, there is a pretty expectant buzz about the place! With the audience this receptive, I realise that it's an impressive turnout in every sense of the word.
With only my curiosity to satisfy, and just seconds to realise that the in-house PA is one deafening setup (the in-house engineer's a good 'un!!) four-piece, indie rockers THE AUDIBLES wasted no time at all in proceeding to warm up the cellar atmospherics with a stream of tunes from their current 'Absinthe' EP.
The 4-chord chunks of emotion surged forth from behind the feedback and the bass fair shook the room amidst the dense melodics of their twin guitar assault. ‘Just Like You’ has an addictive, chant-like two-step mantra at its core and heads nodded instinctively in response to the straight up rock n rollers’ easy delivery. It was a good start and it got a good reaction too, as did the deliberately atonal skank-out rendition of 'O'Sherry', all corruption and corporate shenanigans, spat forth through a healthy dose of cyncicism through gritted teeth.
‘Absinthe’, the EP’s title track, grew out of the jam as the boys afforded a smile or two despite the brooding melancholy of their music, and they followed up with ‘Time Of Day’, a song that benefitted from gig adrelaline’s effects on raising the tempo.
‘Take it or leave it’ was a breath of urgency, as was another tune in possession of that ‘Mr Pharmacist’ insanity that comes from demonic rhythm playing. Yes, there were cheers and whistles in the warm applause at the set’s conclusion, proof that The Audibles had indeed made themselves heard. They also did the other acts a big favour in loosening up this expectant crowd good style, proof positive that their onstage delivery is a huge strength as far as their overall ability to write and hold a tune is concerned.
NORTHERN QUARTER, complete with foxy drummer and supreme bass lounge blues guitarist hitting the dizzy heights from the semi-acoustic 4-string would have a harder task convincing me that they were up to their unimaginative monicker. Tales of street life in my birthplace failed time and again to emerge, yet inaccurate coke-tales from never-never land poured freely forth, sadly only as a potentially big ol’comment about the heads onstage.
However, their twelve bar affiliations would eventually flood the room, and after a sufficient warm-up they eased into a strong and seedy parody of a band I used to know in Little Hulton. Some of the basslines were gorgeous, but the overall ugliness of their oilstain aesthetic was too much at odds with the comtemporary blues sound, and I ended up with me opera glasses out checking them for minor nosebleeds and other wannabee signs of pretend hedonism.
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What the f**k is a cheap fat lady? Answers on a postcard.
Compare this with THE GENTLEMEN. Sheffield’s answer to the big serious were lightning quick to ease their way into our hearts and souls, and that self-depreceating preoccupation with love & understanding hit the spot every time from within the inner reaches of a fuzzed out brand of rock n roll!
The big irony was that though they scream for suspended judgement, there was something instantly likeable about both the band and their endearing search for values like forgiveness (“You’re so right” shouted one member of the smiling crowd), and thus their rapport with a crowd they had had to win over was well and truly established.
Beginning with a politeness that was beautifully appropriate to their name, THE GENTLEMEN thanked not only the crowd for waiting to check them out, but also the engineer behind the desk for his quality work at the controls (Ahhh, such good manners are a rare ol’ thing in these modern times we live in!).
Their staccato pop delivery was both refreshing and reflective. ‘There’s No-one Like You’ and ‘Forgiveness’ were both brought forth on a superb and stylish wave of delightfully melodic fuzzed out Top 40 power, as any remaining barriers melted under the blistering heat of their bridge-taking, addictive tunes. Nick Noble’s twisted vocals raised smiles galore as our vomit-covered heroes pondered the ensuing legal action, and this impressive touch of the truly surreal left us all breathlessly clamouring for more.
With guitarist Sean Walsh leading the melodic charge with solo after stunning solo, this was a blast of crystal clarity, hopelessly infectious and really, impossible to dislike. Insane slices of frenzied grunge-rock were interspersed with pearls of heat-seeking wisdom that hit home with deadly and delicious accuracy every single time. This is pop perfection at work, make no mistake!
Their beautiful set served ultimately as the best showcase possible for their debut long-player, ‘Smile Back At Me’. The band also stand testament to the overflowing talent to be found in South Yorkshire at the moment – they are currently touring the UK on a string of dates that will take them all the way to Minehead via Skeggy for the Spring Harvest weekenders at Butlins; you would be well advised to check them out along the way. Superb!
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