Heading to their not so intended namesake town having just released their fourth album ‘Cope’ Manchester Orchestra have wasted no time in a UK tour to celebrate. We caught them at Manchester Club Academy this weekend in a run of sold out dates with Gang Of Youths. The Aussie openers have already been picked up by NME as one of the hottest bands for 2014 and they definitely lived up to it.
Gang Of Youths made us regret not taking the time to check them out before the show. We were dying to sing along with Dave Leaupepe’s beautiful vocals, layers building up into these stunning tracks that carry an amazing depth live that you can’t find in their recordings. The perfect beginning to the night, Gang Of Youths brought the crowd to the barriers in laid back awe, every element of the band coming together in a tireless force that we cannot wait to witness again.
With a quick changeover and the addition of Chris Freeman’s extra drums we were desperate for new and old and Manchester Orchestra did not fail to impress. Eager fans were swept into ‘Shake It Out’ as Manchester Orchestra took to the stage. With no still lip or body in sight it was clear why this tour sold out so quickly as they continued into ‘Pensacola’ with an erupting crowd choir behind every word. Manchester Orchestra have this extraordinary ability to have you smiling, singing along to melancholy lyrics that should have you crying, both ‘Pale Black Eye’ and ‘I Can Barely Breathe’ continuing this juxtaposition as ‘Pride’ riled bodies to that heaving riff that we all love and know so well. Stomping through the track with dual drums into a frenzy that you wouldn’t expect from Manchester Orchestra if you preferred their more subdued tracks.
The band have always sat on the cusp of genres, writing for themselves rather than a pigeon hole. This versatility also falling within their stage presence, more confident than any tour before. Manchester Orchestra paused mid song in giggles whilst someone found their shoe, breaking out in rap and attempting to mellow the wild Scottish fan in front of us. After the delicate opening of ‘100 Dollars’ chiming in with every word before Manchester Orchestra played the first new track of the night ‘The Ocean’ and despite ‘Cope’s recent release the track was echoed around the Club Academy.
A familiar ‘I’ve Got Friends’ tinkered in intertwining an amazing set list of new and old. However as Andy Hull strummed into ‘Colly Strings‘ the room stopped, hanging on every word, Tim Very calling the rest of the band in behind before heading into the title track of their latest ‘Cope‘. They hit heavier territory than ‘Simple Math‘ with bodies lunging in their hefty musicianship desperate to sing every word back and hang on every twang of McDowell’s guitar. ‘Everything To Nothing‘ and ‘The River‘ then brought the heaving crowds back down into a state of awe, their diversity ever present from their impressive set list of heart breakers and crowd shakers.
All this adjacent intensity is left to an incredible encore, as tight as recordings with all their extended perfection it is distinct why this tour sold out so quickly by every sound that Manchester Orchestra produce. ‘Top Knotch’ called out crowd surfers and ‘Every Stone’ echoed every word within the crowd before ‘Simple Math’ simmered us down again. This interwoven dynamic of the perfect setlist was highlighted in a room hung on every word and that single twang that breaks up the beginning of the track, the crowd lost in consumption of Manchester Orchestra with the reverence of the room continuing after the uproar from the first few chords of ‘Where Have You Been?’. Closing the set in all this emotional intensity left the room sentimental, desperate for Manchester Orcestra’s rare songwriting ability to sweep us back up again. Every live sound carrying the weight of everything you felt from the recordings, we recommend you don’t miss them again.
