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Hungry Pigeon continues its bold steps towards dominating the Manchester Festival season. Now in its third year the Pigeon team and Henry Lloyd Jeans have streamlined what used to feel like a sprawling event, into a concise and professional one The list of bands is as bottomless as ever, an endless biblical tale of minor and middling Manchester bands. No problem, but with no Holy Grail so to speak (Athlete? We think not) it’s a bit of a lucky dip for those brave enough to bottom-feed.
The opening night of the festival was set alight by an excellent performance from Kirsty Almeida (pictured) at Band On The Wall. Almeida has a terrific varied voice and is backed by a 7 piece band of expert musicians. She has signed to Decca, is currently on tour across the UK, and is set to play Glastonbury in the coming weeks. She is, of course, attempting to enter a very crowded sector of the music industry, but the quality of the material her band produces should ensure she makes an impact. Her performance here was stunning, and her interesting take on pop music transmitted beautifully well to the audience. The band seem to take influence from many musical genres, and this really helps to create a sound that is different and complex. There is a serious groove underpinning everything, with a band that are so accomplished it is quite spectacular to witness. Her single ‘Spider’ stood out, with a smooth and chocolaty vocal and stunning brass solo sections it really does offer something different. Almeida and co are pretty much faultless and supremely well prepared, and they are producing music which is very much their own. You can hear these songs being played everywhere from small, back street clubs to grandiose venues like the Bridgewater Hall. Kirsty is charming and likeable, and her audience is so varied, with young and old all enjoying the music. It is very refreshing to see a band appeal to such a variety of people, even in the embryonic stage of their development. Keep an eye out for Kirsty Almeida, she looks set to have a big career ahead of her.
Friday also sees the vanguardia of Manchester out in force, most notably The Longcut. We remain oblivious as to why The Longcut are so critically underrated. ‘Transition’ sees an early outing, with ‘Quiet Life’ closing as per usual, but standout track is without doubt ‘A Tried and Tested Method’ which is often overlooked when compared to the above heavy weights. The truncated version of Open Heart the standout track from the latest album serves-up the only disappointment. The Longcut are not synonymous with euphoric but in ‘Open Hearts’ they have a savvy floor filler. Live, the evolution is sadly cut short by the abridged version. That, coupled with Stuart’s failure to commit fully to the vocals results in somewhat of a missed opportunity.
Similar disappointments are had at The Travelling Bands eagerly anticipated gig at The Band on the Wall. Aside from the excruciating start, where the band battle the din of alcohol fuelled natter, the brilliance of new single ‘Sundial’ appeared abbreviated. ‘Sundial’, perfectly touched tonight by the addition of strings and horn section is the track that the band needed to break the shackles of their past, so to have it uncharacteristically shortened was somewhat of a blow.
Liam Frost provided another festival zenith, playing a splendid set of honest and heartfelt tracks at Band On The Wall. Frost is much loved here in Manchester and Sunday’s performance will only serve to enhance his reputation and cement his place in the hearts of the many Mancunians in attendance. Liam has a very good voice, one that tugs at the heart strings and excites, and his songs are very personal. He is also a very amiable and likeable chap, with the barrier between him and his audience almost non-existent. He played with his band for the majority of the set, but towards the end the other players left the stage and Liam performed 3 solo songs before the band returned to play out the remaining tracks. The full band numbers were energetic and full of vocal hooks and, although his musicians are not particularly unique, they provide a solid platform on which Frost can launch into his sincere lyrics. The lead guitarist is not flash, but his tone was seductive and agreeable and it worked well with Frost’s voice. His songs demonstrate an ability to write catchy choruses, which is a skill that some find difficult, and he has a firm grasp of pop melody. ‘Shall We Dance’ was one of the set highlights, with a lovely harmonica section reminiscent of some of Dylan’s work, it also contains an excellent narrative. Frost clearly takes pride in his words, and his audience sing them back to him with the same kind of zeal he delivers them with. Indeed, the most impressive constituent of his stage performance is the passion with which he sings. It doesn’t seem like a job, rather something he has to do and it appears to take a lot out of him. It is quite a spectacle when you see a musician give everything, and Liam Frost delivers on that count.
The Paris Riots are becoming a very well known local band with a fervent following. They write stadium rock music, akin to King of Leons more recent work, and they play with such intensity and tightness that they have to be admired. Their lead singer, Toby Connor, is extremely enigmatic and his onstage antics make for a very exciting visual spectacle. His vocals are very strong and the drumming from Scott McKnight is commanding and impressive. Having said that, their songs lack originality and it’s doubtful what impression they will make on the music world. Tonight The Paris Riots formula leaves a slightly empty feeling inside the listener. However, the reaction of the large audience inside Night & Day on the final night of the festival would disagree strongly with that analysis.
The overall festival highlight came from the outstanding I Am Blackbird, who continue to impress every time they step on to a stage here in Manchester. Each band member exhibits distinction and class, making it is blatantly obvious that Jonny Baldwin, the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, has strategically hand-picked the musicians. In fairness, it’s the least his song-writing deserves, anything less than a group of outstanding players would be an injustice to Manchester’s best new songwriter. It is impossible to find criticism with a band that has quality songs, great vocals and excellent musicianship. They seem to strike a perfect balance with every aspect of their work, with lyrics that are poignant yet not preachy, music that is enduring and yet modern and a stage presence that is understated but not boring. Personally, I cannot wait for the day they play their inaugural Jools Holland performance because firstly, it will be wonderful to listen to, and secondly, I will feel vindicated in my conviction that they are, without doubt, Manchester’s best new band.
Which brings us to the weekends headlining act; Athlete. It’s difficult to know if it was the unkind weather or the headlining act that kept the crowds away, but the outside stage at Piccadilly Gardens never really took off. Some say Athlete have matured, and it’s true that the gimmicky intonation of tracks such as ‘Wires’ has thankfully mellowed, but with that they reach an even lower level of individuality and creativity. Today, not surprisingly, It’s the oldies that are receive the most rapture; starting with ‘El Salvador’ and ending with ‘Wires’ Athlete somehow manage to coax the crowd through soppy sing-along’s.
On the whole Hungry Pigeon has taken a giant leap forward in both quality and appeal. With the mainstream allure of bands like Athlete onboard the Pigeon team have undoubtedly set their sights on becoming the V Festival of the Manchester Festival scene. TAGS: Hungry Pigeon, The Longcut, Athlete, The Paris Riots, Kirsty Almeida, The Travelling Band, Liam Frost Words by: Daniel Pratley and Rob Pollard |
