Live
BRONCHO
Yes, Manchester
February 28 2019
Words: Jack McKinnell
It was Oklahomans BRONCHO’s third out of five UK performances (before heading off to Texas for the upcoming SXSW festival) on their current ‘Bad Behavior’ tour - promoting their most recent album released last October - and playing in the birthplace of indie music, it was going to be a big one, so much so, that they elected to change their setlist for the show, which even left their tour manager confused.
That wasn't the only change. The normal four-piece indie rock outfit performed on the night with guitarist Ben King absent. However, the music did not go amiss, as the remaining members threw some incredible energy into the crowd. Fan favourites ‘Class Historian’ and ‘Speed Demon’ got the crowd jumping, and there's not a more energetic frontman than Ryan Lindsey: he just doesn’t stop moving. Bouncing side to side, in time with changing riffs, he was dancing faster than the teenage girls by the stage, and he did this all whilst doing the work of two guitarists.
Drummer Nathan Price was so concentrated on banging out the fierce beats that he didn’t look up from his drums once. He just went from one rhythm to the next without having to think. The sticks he held were guiding him from one beat to another, almost like he was possessed by them. Bassist Penny Pitchlynn was the calm, cool performer on stage. This was clear from the offset as she walked on stage and put out her lit cigarette by pressing the butt of it against her skin.
Her coolness was carried through into her performance as she swayed throughout the gig, flicking her head towards the microphone when she was called upon for backing vocals.
So, an energetic frontman, a focused drummer and a bassist who carried a lot of swagger. Is it the recipe for success? Yes. Well, in terms of their music anyway.
Lindsey did well balancing both complex chord progressions and riffs in songs such as ‘Sandman’, considering he was the only guitarist, as well as the infectious 'Keep It In Line'. Vocally, the band struggled. They became muffled and got lost in the loud sounds of the instruments but they did try and fix this with the band doing some mic checks two minutes before starting the set. However, the sound problems were through no fault of their own, as supporting act Shards had a similar experience with their instruments being clear but the vocals lost in the mix.
BRONCHO have a good light show going on behind them. Despite it being simple changes, they were fast and kept up with the music, something I had never seen in a smaller venue. The colour red was dominant throughout, despite playing in the Pink Room, and made you think of their most recent album’s art work. A great band, a great atmosphere, a great night. Had the mics been working, great could have been amazing.
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