Mood Swings @ Yes Manchester
Another excellent ‘Mood Swings’ night..you know the shtick by now, Now Wave present 3 new bands for a fraction of the cost of a warm lager in a Manchester Enormodome. Musically you don’t know what to expect (hence the name) but Now Wave can be trusted to sift through the unstoppable avalanche of new bands and find the best. Short, sharp sets with a minimum of faff between acts make it easy to give everyone on the bill a chance to be heard so if you want to support new artists and hear something fresh, get along to one of these nights that happen every few weeks at Manchester’s fantastic Yes.
Tonight’s turns…first up Night Swimming who in spite of a moniker that doesn’t scream originality and wearing their Cocteaus/Slowdive/Sundays influences on their sleeves early on, revealed hidden depths as their set progressed. All the Sonic Cathedral signature sounds are there but as they progress the songs open out, leaving space to appreciate the excellent vocals and songwriting with considerable emotional heft – underpinned by an insistent rhythm which nods toward Joy Division or Magazine. As often is the case at Mood Swings you start to forget you’re at a new band showcase and feel like you’re watching a confident group who’ve been treading the boards for years rather than just starting out. I’m wondering how we’re going to top this ridiculously good start to the evening…
Total gear change for the next turn, RIP Magic who deliver their set silhouetted against deep red light apart from when they blind us with yellow strobes. I like it when bands think about the lighting scheme – it works a treat and makes for a disorientating, slightly threatening vibe. They play an enjoyably murky set of heavy beat-laden industrial sludge with nods to 90s Hip Hop powered along with with a driving bass and live drumming combined with analogue synths – always a good match. See what I mean about mood swings? The sound mix means the vocals are submerged somewhat but that may be intentional and matches the lighting scheme – nobody really knows what RIP Magic are up to and in an era where everything is transparent and we’re always being let in on the magic – it’s fitting that this lot keep something hidden. There doesn’t seem to be much info about these let alone any recorded music – hopefully they’re building up toward something – we want more!
Last up, The Itch…5 hyperactive groovers with lots of bubbling synths, slap bass and more cowbells than you can…er…shake a stick at…which they did. Some of them wore vests, the singer had a jerky Talking Heads preppy style and they played infectious punk-funk work-outs. Musically LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture are the obvious touch point but they go much further. They tap into the darker side of Depeche style synth pop and there was a nod in the direction of those early 80s bands who had loads of members and whipped up a militant shakedown – I’m thinking Pigbag, Funkapolitan and perhaps a touch of the Spandau Ballet (before they donned the stockbroker suits)- with various members joining in the chant and throwing some excellent shapes. Kids and their eclectic music tastes today eh? Loads of movement and energy on stage – if I was going to be a total hack I’d say scratch this Itch if you can!
