aaamusic | On 25, Sep 2014

Monday 22nd September, Manchester

Tonight’s event was full of optimism and excitement, with JAWS having recently released their debut album Be Slowly, which so far has been receiving very positive reviews from fans and critics alike. The band have been hot on the tails of the album release with this supporting headline tour and tonight was sure to be a good one.

The queue outside the venue was growing and was probably the first time I had witnessed so many people outside this venue, all anxiously waiting to watch a show. Seeing this many faces all lit up with anticipation, for a band who are of the same age as myself, was quite shocking, but also humbling to know that no matter what adversity life throws at us, a band of young spritely lads could steadily make their mark.

First on tonight was Brawlers, hailing from Leeds, and boy(!) did they rapidly rip up a storm . Taking their cues from the chaotic frenzy that punk music embellishes, the vocalist spent the set in the pit with the crowd, which – much to the obvious, questioning looks many of the crowd had on their faces – brought a change of atmosphere which you don’t see often at gigs. Breaking down the barriers of fan and band, and becoming one entity (as opposed to separate entities) was inspiring. Whether or not the band were to everyone’s tastes, they sure knew how to create a great atmosphere.

Next up was Fickle Friends, a band with a more humble and scaled back approach in how they delivered themselves to the waiting audience. The band brought a more melodically driven sound to proceedings, giving the audience time to breathe, and with it came a nice contrast from the fast and abrasive sound of the first support act. With that said, the music spoke for itself, which sometimes lacked in that more abrasive sound, because without that energy a band like Brawlers could potentially be dull and lifeless.

Lastly was JAWS, who took to the stage in a sea of dim lights with heads held low, whilst the crowd bellowed with cheers and screams; quite the opposite to the demeanour of the band, who were about to embark on an experience of euphoria. Despite the band’s seemingly reserved appearance, they started with a bang and the crowd lapped up every second of it from start to finish – so much so that the stage itself was moving with the herd of feet stamping in syncopated motion from song to song. Having not been a band for very long at all, it’s remarkable how far they have come from their humble beginnings, but all music has it’s time and place, and I think it’s fair to say that for any band that has left a mark it’s because of the fans who have allowed them to do so. This point eludes to the fact that as much fans insist to be lovers of music, we are just as fickle and unfortunately this can greatly affect a band’s longevity, but after tonight the band have proved some reliable staying power… let’s hope that persists.

Joe Sheridan