Page Avenue start things up tonight and there’s a smattering of people to see them open at the early time of 18:15. It’s a short set for the new acoustic pop act. It’s fairly unoffensive stuff with 3 of their own songs and two covers (Underoath and A Day To Remember). The crowd seem uninterested but as the night progresses this becomes a common theme for all 3 supports unfortunately. It’s the first time they’ve played these songs tonight and so I expect they’ll get better live but lyrically and composition wise it’s relatively simple and lacks identity.
2/5
Forests keep with the trend with it being their first ever show but despite stating they’re nervous it doesn’t visibly show. They converse well with an understated crowd in both numbers and enthusiasm. They wake them up a bit with a much rockier sound than Page Avenue but struggle to hold my interest. They become a little more jam orientated towards the end with their first single ?Wolves? that they mention a music video has also been done for. They need to decide if this is how they want to be portrayed though and if not what they want to be known for. They lack any real type of emotion and certainly aren’t as hooky as I expect the bands that follow them to be. For a first gig though they do just fine but don’t leave a lasting impression.
2/5
They Sink Ships are the final support for the evening and I finally feel as if the night has begun. That’s a little harsh on the two acts before them but these guys really brighten up my evening. Despite not being the greatest technically they certainly make up for it in enthusiasm, especially vocalist Tom who starts to get very frustrated with a less then receptive crowd. There’s good variety here with a bit of synth on ?Good As Gold? however ?Tired Eyes? proves a highlight. This is possibly one of the hardest crowds I’ve seen at a Manchester gig but I definitely will enjoy hearing more of what these guys produce. They’re are one of many decent uk pop punk bands (Not Advised being another) currently trying to break through and good luck to them.
3/5
Not Advised finish things up tonight and it’s a shame they have to do without vocalist Jim with Ash taking over. This means we have a shorter set than normal (about 30 mins), under the circumstances this is understandable. All the recognisable favourites from ‘After The Fight‘ are on show though. ?Jane Says Left? really gets the crowd going and ?A Red Light Situation? goes down very well indeed and is my predictable favourite. Overall it’s a reserved crowd but there’s still a few rows who really get into it and Jim’s absence has been well hidden. The amount of exposure they’re likely to get from their tours later in the year with ?A Loss For Words? and ?Canterbury/Francesqa? will give a clearer picture as to just how far these guys can go. They’re definitely on their way to a good start though.
3.5/5
Jamie