Manchester Orchestra - London Scala
Artist profile:
Manchester Orchestra
Date: 13/02/08
Rating: ****
The fact that the Manchester Orchestra are fast building a reputation on both sides of the Atlantic is testimony to their hardcore touring schedule. They spent two thirds of 2007 on the road and 2008 has started off in pretty much in the same way. Always the travelling mans band, it’s natural that the Orchestra look right at home beneath the lights, playing their music with pride in front of an adoring crowd this evening.
They take full advantage of their headline slot, with album highlights such as ‘Wolves At Night’ and ‘Golden Ticket’ casting spells over this London venue from the first strike of their respective opening chords. Each song is received with a warm applause before the room returns to silence in anticipation for the next offering.
There’s little banter between stage and audience but the respect between the band and their fans is something some artists spend years searching for. It creates an atmosphere which allows Manchester Orchestra to come into their own, simultaneously opening a door to their world for the next hour.
The despairing fatigue of ‘Where Have You Been’ stuns with overwhelming intensity while ‘I Can Barely Breathe’ sends tactile shivers down the spine with its tales of blame and reason. The music merely matches the emotional content of each song making it helpless not to be consumed with every chord.
What makes this band so special however is the passion and belief that each member puts into their performance, as if what they do is all they know. It’s a feeling that can be confirmed by a single look into front man Andy Hull’s eyes as he scans the room for the answers his music constantly asks. What keeps this show from being truly life affirming however, lies in the encore which sees Hull return alone with his electric guitar to play out the evening with two solo songs.
It’s nothing short of jaw dropping, the first song ‘Are You Lonely?’ with its powerful lyricism and finally ‘Badges And Badges’ about the pretentiousness of bands wearing their own t-shirts truly impress. Throughout you can hear a pin drop but you feel something has been held back before the stage is left empty and the crowd reluctantly applaud their heroes’ goodbye for the final time tonight.
They’ll be back of course but this was the sound of a band summing up their options for world domination, next time it might just happen to be one of the best things you’re likely to see this year.
Sam Tolley
Manchester Orchestra Myspace
Buy Manchester Orchestra CDs | Buy Manchester Orchestra mp3s | Buy Manchester Orchestra Tickets | Buy Manchester Orchestra Merch
Date: 13/02/08
Rating: ****
The fact that the Manchester Orchestra are fast building a reputation on both sides of the Atlantic is testimony to their hardcore touring schedule. They spent two thirds of 2007 on the road and 2008 has started off in pretty much in the same way. Always the travelling mans band, it’s natural that the Orchestra look right at home beneath the lights, playing their music with pride in front of an adoring crowd this evening.
They take full advantage of their headline slot, with album highlights such as ‘Wolves At Night’ and ‘Golden Ticket’ casting spells over this London venue from the first strike of their respective opening chords. Each song is received with a warm applause before the room returns to silence in anticipation for the next offering.
There’s little banter between stage and audience but the respect between the band and their fans is something some artists spend years searching for. It creates an atmosphere which allows Manchester Orchestra to come into their own, simultaneously opening a door to their world for the next hour.
The despairing fatigue of ‘Where Have You Been’ stuns with overwhelming intensity while ‘I Can Barely Breathe’ sends tactile shivers down the spine with its tales of blame and reason. The music merely matches the emotional content of each song making it helpless not to be consumed with every chord.
What makes this band so special however is the passion and belief that each member puts into their performance, as if what they do is all they know. It’s a feeling that can be confirmed by a single look into front man Andy Hull’s eyes as he scans the room for the answers his music constantly asks. What keeps this show from being truly life affirming however, lies in the encore which sees Hull return alone with his electric guitar to play out the evening with two solo songs.
It’s nothing short of jaw dropping, the first song ‘Are You Lonely?’ with its powerful lyricism and finally ‘Badges And Badges’ about the pretentiousness of bands wearing their own t-shirts truly impress. Throughout you can hear a pin drop but you feel something has been held back before the stage is left empty and the crowd reluctantly applaud their heroes’ goodbye for the final time tonight.
They’ll be back of course but this was the sound of a band summing up their options for world domination, next time it might just happen to be one of the best things you’re likely to see this year.
Sam Tolley
Manchester Orchestra Myspace
Buy Manchester Orchestra CDs | Buy Manchester Orchestra mp3s | Buy Manchester Orchestra Tickets | Buy Manchester Orchestra Merch
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