Tag: Jet

2024 Gigs – Part 4

In March I made another pilgrimage to Manchester Band on the Wall where I went to see BDRMM for the second time. I will cover the band in more detail when I review my first sighting of them on what turned out to be a chaotic night at Manchester White Hotel.

I thoroughly enjoyed their set, but the downside was that it was exceedingly busy with no wriggle room to gravitate from your chosen slot. Uncle George, John Dewhurst and Riggers were in tow, and I recall pre-gig drinks at Northern Monk Refectory MCR and Smithfield Market Tavern and pre-gig tucker at Viet Shack.   

Manchester Northern Monk. Image Credit reeceleung.com

Around the time of the Cheltenham Festival and St Patricks Day I was on the way to another gig, and I happened to catch a portion of the House Band at Manchester Blues Kitchen Bar and a segment of the set of a singer/songwriter named Harriet at Manchester Albert Schloss. Later in the year I saw a couple of other acts at Albert Schloss when they had regular daytime gigs taking place to coincide with the student graduation season.

The gig I was indirectly heading towards was at Manchester Albert Hall and was preceded by imbibing a couple of bevvies in the Sir Ralph Abercromby located in an alley right behind the venue. My Albert Hall attendance was to see the Pixies for the fifth time and my ticket was booked prior to realising that they were playing ‘Trompe Le Monde’ and ‘Bossonova’, my least favourite of their albums as my personal highlight of theirs has always been ‘Surfer Rosa’.

Having said all that, it was beneficial to reappraise these records and there is some belting tunes sporadically dotted about on them including on the night fine versions of ‘Velouria’, ‘Allison’ and ‘Planet of Sound’. I have also just clocked that earlier this year they released a live album of the shows on that tour. They were supported by The Pale White who were a three piece from Newcastle who include in their ranks brothers Adam and Jack Hope. 

A small matter of eight days after I returned to the venue to have my latest sweet fix (Some Candy Talking?) of Jesus and Mary Chain. I have in the last month travelled past the 40th anniversary of my attendance at their legendary gig at Clouds in Preston on the 6th of September 1985.

Preston Clouds attached to Preston Odeon approximately 1981. Image Credit facebook.com.

There was a posse of seven gathered in the afore mentioned Sir Ralph Abercromby prior to the show for beers and badinage. They started with a bang with ‘Jamcod’ and ‘Happy When It Rains’ and completed the main set with a flourish of ‘I Love Rock and Roll’ and ‘Just Like Honey’. I also had the veritable treat of finally catching up with fellow local music aficionado Cath Aubergine at the conclusion of the gig. The night as many before it culminated in the Temple of Convenience bar.    

In October I had my final 2024 visit where I saw Public Service Broadcasting performing. They were as ever at a decent level but was probably my least favourite viewing of them across the four times I have witnessed them so far.

There were two appearances at Manchester Ritz, bringing my total there to 37, which places it in third place on my most attended venue list. The first was the Australian band Jet who formed in 2001 and disbanded in 2012 before two separate reformations, the second one preceding this tour. They were playing their original popular first album ‘Get Born’ and it was around 15 years since I saw them previously in the same venue.   

The other gig was with the stellar company of Rick Clegg and his daughter Charlotte and her pal Laura. We went to the newly reopened and revamped Grosvenor pub on Oxford Road with the obligatory visit to the Umami noodle bar close by. The band playing was English Teacher from Leeds, led by the charismatic singer Lily Fontaine. Their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’ had recently won the 2024 Mercury Prize, thankfully breaking a nine-year stronghold of London-based musicians winning the award. They were a quirky bunch and very enjoyable.

English Teacher. Image Credit nme.com

The final show of the year to reference was at Manchester Night and Day and came to my attention via some musical gurus on Twitter (now X) before I decided like many others to ditch that poisonous platform. Marcus and I attended, and we watched a portion of that night’s Euros 24 match in the boozer beforehand.

The band was the Reds, Pinks and Purples which is the brainchild of Glenn Donaldson who is also a photographer and record collector. He is a prolific singer/songwriter exemplified by writing 200 songs and releasing seven albums in seven years. When he is playing live, he is part of a five-piece band comprised of musicians from his San Francisco home. He has a soothing evocative voice and was one of my favourite gigs of the year. He was supported by Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse band who hail from Kentucky.

Manchester Venue 6 – The Ritz (Part 2)

I have seen Black Rebel Motorcycle Club there twice and despite their arguably overlong sets they have always been compelling viewing. In 2009 I saw AC/DC wannabees Jet who alternated between ballads and rock tracks and produced a half decent performance with a proper strong vocal.

In 2011 I witnessed the Hold Steady who were going through a transitional phase as the keyboardist Franz Nicolay was undertaking a lengthy leave of absence. This altered the dynamic as it led to them resorting to a set list leaning towards their earlier albums as that suited their guitar led garage band sound, and as a result they were superb on the night.

I have also seen Fidlar, Maran Morris and Ryan Hurd, Arab Strap, Mark Lanegan, Band of Skulls, Joy Formidable. Go Team, Car Seat Headrest and Best Coast grace the stage there.

Nine years after my first visit, I saw Jesus and Mary Chain there in 1996. They were in the midst of touring ‘Stoned and Dethroned’, which is my favourite album alongside the startling aural onslaught that is contained in ‘Psychocandy’. Mary Chain gigs can historically be a bit of a lottery, but they were really accomplished and has thus far been my favourite live performance from them.

In 2018 I did a vintage double header within a few weeks of each other. First up was Belly who were excellent and Tanya Donnelly’s (previously Throwing Muses) voice was an absolute revelation. They also had the obligatory slightly bonkers bassist. To follow them was the Breeders with the Deal sisters in tow and they were enjoyable.

The best sound I encountered was at a British Sea Power show in 2017 with ‘super fan’ Graham Jones in attendance. Sometimes the sound can be a tad muddy here but every note was crystal clear that night. 

British Sea Power ticket stub. Image credit mdm.archive.co.uk

Dinosaur Jr in 2013 were good, playing a large portion of an early album ‘Bug’ containing their biggest tune ‘Freak Scene’. My most recent attendance were the thin young Dublin scamps Fontaines DC who despite sound difficulties were as good as ever and induced mothering reflexes from Gill and Tris as to whether they were eating square meals.

One of the more unusual ones was Wu Lyf in 2012. Their inexorable rise up to that point involving them building up a loyal fan base by playing guerrilla gigs under various Manchester railway arches.

It was the best crowd reaction I had seen for a while and they were quirky and good value. I can only assume that the conversion to standard indoor stages was a wrong move as they broke up a year later.

The inimitable Wu Lyf. Image Credit L’obs.

Prior to a Dandy Warhols gig in 2015 Uncle George and I had a flying dabble in the bookies and we had a never to be repeated hot streak resulting in half an hour later leaving with a not inconsiderable profit. The Warhols couldn’t live up to the earlier high in the evening.

Rocket from the Crypt were in town in 1998 and were tremendous as ever and on that particular tour they created a novelty. This being that the support band Beach Buggies, after their set decamped to outside each venue in an open lorry to play a bonus set. So at the point of departure  we discovered them across the road outside what subsequently became the Gorilla playing a short jaunty set and thus creating Manchester Venue 7 – Manchester Ritz Concourse.  

RFTC Flyer. Image Credit mdm.archive.co.uk

https://academymusicgroup.com/o2ritzmanchester/