Well, Manchester was bouncin' on this 'In the City' Saturday night. We found the venue in the city centre quite easily but finding somewhere to park proved to be a right nightmare. Eventually we found an obliging if not a little over priced multi storey and hot footed it back to Bootle Street.
The venue was busy however most people appeared to be there in anticipation of the club night rather than the gig. Unfortunately the sound of people talking overpowered the one support we saw and before we know it The Beans take to the stage earlier than advertised.
They start off with the opening and title track of their brilliant debut EP on Northern Ambition Records 'Sun is Shining'; a summery soul pop classic in the mould of Paul Weller / Shack. The singer Andrew Alker perches on his stool leaning over his acoustic guitar and bears more than a passing resemblance to a young Gerry Marsden.
He's flanked on one side by his brother Steven on bass, a trumpeter (Jake Painter) on the other and a keyboardist and
drummer bringing up the rear. They're a motley looking bunch alright who you wouldn't neccasarily put together or meet in a dark alley but then the sound they make explains it all.
For me the harmonies are what stand out the most ,stretching to four parts in places with the two brothers voices featuring prominently. There's a good bit of banter between songs, mostly amongst the band. They play all the songs from the EP deservedly named as record of the week by Piccadily Records in Manchester. 'Me and your Mother' and 'Fishes' are instantly likeable slices of loping acoustic funk that are interspersed with a couple of longer, anthemic tunes. There's another fine jazz pop moment in 'Books' which like the other songs is peppered with Bacharachian bursts of 'easy' trumpet.
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They save the best song from their EP; 'Save the Cake' till last which to be honest is the only song thay don't quite manage to do justice on the night. In their defence the gig was moved to this venue at the last minute and the band seem a bit rushed and unsettled with their sound throughout. Recognising themselves perhaps that they didn't quite nail the last song they try and do another only to be cut of at the pass by the sound guy who
pulls the plug. It's a shame and a little bit of an anti climax but the band are not to blame and the crowd are nonetheless appreciative of their efforts.
Considering what they were up against, they managed to pull it off with a good bunch of songs that promise much. I look forward to seeing them next time under less fraught conditions away from the 'In the City', inner city Manchester mayhem. More Beans please.
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