"Just out of curiosity,
Can you tell me how old you think I should be?" ('Yes Yes')
It isn't very often that your first instinct upon seeing a band walk onto stage is to mother them, but when OPERATOR PLEASE appear this evening, they look so shy, nervous and bemused that you want to crouch down and reassure them that things will be fine. If they appear apprehensive when they walk onstage, it's only for a second. The moment the music kicks in, it's all confidence. Opening with 'Get What You Want,' those anxious young things are suddenly spiky, sneery and lively as hell.
You can understand how one of Manchester smaller, below-street level venues on a Wednesday night might phase the teenagers from Australia's Gold Coast, but not of that is conveyed whilst they are playing. Any sort of comfort you may have wished to offer, you realise would have resulted in a rather nasty bite. They may seem young (for they are all under twenty years old), but this band can stand on their own ten feet.
The singles are saved until the end of the set, with 'Just a Song About Ping-Pong' being particularly well received – a frenetic, short song that still manages to go through many stages, making it something of a whirlwind. Like so many of their other songs, 'Leave it Alone' is a structured pop-song made brilliant by just the tiniest bits of invention. It has an eighties glamour about it, whilst still harbouring the snotty-nosed snarling of your average angry teen. 'Yes Yes' and 'Zero Zero' both have killer choruses, and the singing all night is the slightly shrill, and mildly menacing style that Amandah Wilkinson appears to have perfected.
The set rarely drops the pace – token slow song '6/8' cannot help but speed up like all the others, and cause some people to indulge in random acts of dancing and appreciation. That's not to say that this isn't a varied set. The style of music is punk-pop, but it's far from formulaic. There are several reasons for this.
The main standout factor is violinist Taylor Henderson. A very seasoned player, it's a nice addition to this type of music, where the sound would usually be produced by a synthesizer, it adds something to many of the songs, and at the same time it isn't over-used. It offers an element of chaos to the show – the idea that there might be some improvising going on, and although this may seem obvious, it makes them seem more live than they might have been. Definitely the best use of violins in a band since Hope of the States. Henderson also displays some great backing vocals during 'Ghost,' hinting at the potential for more lyrical interplay in the future. There is plenty more of this sound to be explored.
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They also stand out from other young hopefuls because of their lyrics. They are so accustomed to being their age that they are astute enough to satirise it. Instead of turning their anger into angst, they produce witty lyrics that somehow seem constructive. It ranges from the slightly obscure “I've been doing dirty laundry,” to the truly expressive “Think you're the shit now, because my lingo is so out of the loop.” They are teenage concerns, but they are put so neatly. The songs don't just repeat and repeat – they each go through several stages – lyrics are sung, lyrics are shouted, instruments come and fade and the instrumentals. This is collection is intended to add something to the punk-pop genre, and it more than succeeds.
They are interesting to review, because usually it would fall to talk about the female frontwoman. But as this is a lady dominated band, it seems unnecessary. In Operator Please, the men are the silent minority, and the personality and glamour fall to the three women out front.
The between song banter is still a bit of a struggle, but there is plenty of time for that. The music speaks for them, and in between the confidence just seems to crumble a little bit. It's the only time that their age shows – as they are more accomplished than so many bands that are much older than they are. They are trying things out, though, like the over-hand-claps and encouraging the crowd to get involved – and to an extent it works.
Tell them how old they should be? This is fine, and you hope they keep the enthusiasm. The talent is guaranteed, and they are going to mean a lot to quite a few of their fans. For a band so young, they already have a healthy set of songs that people will both love and remember.
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