Kult Country
The Eagle Inn, Salford
July 4 2014
Words: Dave Beech
The Eagle Inn, nestled on the border between Manchester and Salford, is rapidly becoming the venue to go to to see bands on the rise. While its location may be a little off the beaten track, what it's lacking in locale it more than makes up for in both charisma - and in the acts that grace its small stage.
Tonight local promoters Now Wave excel themselves once again with a line-up that boasts some of Manchester's most promising acts. Opening proceedings is Kraken (MONEY's Jamie Lee), performing an acoustic set to a half-full room. Fortunately, given the size of The Eagle's gig space, even at half capacity the room manages to buzz; something brought about in no small part by the solitary figure on stage, his falsetto vocal and acoustic guitar captivating a crowd that hangs on to his every utterance.
Seguing away from the fragile acoustics of Kraken, local noise-mongers Naked (On Drugs) take to the stage as this evening's top support. Not a band to be bound by the confines of genre, their appreciation of all things avant-garde becomes all the more evident in a live environment; as such it's easy to see how they ended up signed to local art collective SWAYS. Having followed the band for a while now, it's taken me longer than it should have done to finally see them live, after tonight's set however, there's no way in hell it will be as long again before I catch them for a second time.
Thankfully for Kult Country's sake, it seems now that the room is at full capacity, and given its limited size, it doesn't take long before things start to get a little on the warm side. Kult Country don't take long in taking to the stage, and soon the uncomfortable temperature is all but forgotten as this band navigate themselves around a tiny stage without getting in each others' way, yet somehow they manage it and pull off a set that features previous single 'Slowburn' as well as a couple of B-sides.
Tonight though is really all about their new single 'Trembling Moon', and it's this track which is ultimately the most well-received of the evening; the elements of psych and shoegaze that make Kult Country the band they are really brought to the fore in this rendition, whilst the lyrical hook of “How was I for you?” rings out in repetition above the furore - and will be repeating itself in my head for the days that follow. It may well be being asked in rhetoric, but in answer to your question Yousif, you were good. Really fucking good.
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