Live Review
Loom + I See Angels + Bad Grammar + Autobahn
Castle Hotel, Manchester
December 19 2013
Words & Photos: Leanne Crowley
It’s a crisp night in Manchester as Loom descend on the Northern Quarter with their own brand of musical mischief for the last night of their Season’s Beatings tour. The venue, The Castle Hotel, is an intimate one and garners a crowd who are always in fine form; tonight is no exception.
First band to kick off proceedings are Leeds-based rockers Autobahn, with their heady mix of strong guitar riffs, vocal drawl and an overall haunting sound not too dissimilar to early Dead Kennedys tracks. The crowd like it and the tiny room steadily starts to fill. They set the scene nicely for what is sure to be a feast for the senses, with four bands on the bill from across the country: two from across the Pennines in Leeds, two hometowners, and, of course, Warwickshire lads Loom.
Next up are the much more sedate, yet no less brilliant, I See Angels. The Manchester-based three-piece offer an eight-song set of varying contrasts. Starting with ‘Some Big Drama’, a rhythmic and upbeat track with swirling vocals and riffs that draws you in, they progress through to some self-proclaimed new songs which are finely polished and the sound balance of the competing elements is so finely balanced that it’s hard to know which bits your ears are hearing first.
The stand out song of the set however comes in the form of the aptly named ‘Epic’, which has much longer instrumental interludes than their other songs and works just as well. The crowd are not left wanting by this band and to top off their set they give away free CDs and vinyl’s “because it’s Christmas”.
A short break in proceedings brings us right unto the breach when Bad Grammar take the stage. The male singer/guitarist and female drummer duo have such a dominating stage presence, and make such a noise into the bargain, that it’s hard to believe there is only two of them. The intensity from the music can be felt by the crowd, and it’s not long before the audience is captivated; heads bobbing, toes tapping. The vocals are loud and the drumming is enthusiastic; this is back-to-basics music with only one pedal on the stage and no effects in sight. And although this is essentially a very straightforward approach to music, the change in intensity in the vocals as well as the versatility within the overall sound make this aurally pleasing. It’s also always nice to see a band who appreciate that people don’t have to come to their gigs and the appreciation from this band is refreshing to see.
Finally the moment we have all been waiting for is here: Loom. Ending their eventful year in Manchester, the grunge five-piece - who are all capable of gracing the cover of a magazine - raise the glass roof of the packed venue. Frontman Tarik Badwan enters last from the back and immediately starts his unique vocal howl into the mic with ‘Bleed On Me’. There’s an innate intensity in Tarik’s lyrcs, and throw in a Joe Strummer-style wolf howl - and the sound is complete. At first listen, Loom appear to have a lot of random musical elements thrown together, it is only when you see them live you come to appreciate the complexity of the complementary strands within the music: in their songs you can distinguish five sounds distinctly, and this makes for an electrifying experience when they perform.
New release ‘Lice’ is vocally reminiscent of Tarik’s brother Faris’ band, The Horrors, who have shot to international fame for their distinct sound. They proceed through a number of songs including ‘Yosoko’ where Tarik sings of finding a release; by the looks on the faces of the crowd, this is their release.
Next up is the GG Allin cover, ‘Bite It You Scum’, which was featured on their very limited release cassette earlier in the year. As they veer from this into their last offering of the evening - and of 2013 - is ‘I Get A Taste’, which has the crowd enthralled. As the song draws to a close, Tarik walks off and out of the room. The rest of the band leave with as little fuss as when they arrived.
This evening’s entertainment has been a thoroughly pleasant experience and been a true aural delight. With emphatic highs provided by Loom, more mellow notes provided by I See Angels, a fresh breed of rock from Autobahn and a spectacular amount of sound from Bad Grammar, there has been something for everyone here tonight and I leave very happy.
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