Circa Waves – Live @ Gorilla
aaamusic | On 18, Nov 2014
Friday 7th November, Manchester
It’s a Friday night, everyone is excited, and the streets of Manchester are a wash with feet pattering, the sound of laughter in the air. Tonight at the Gorilla venue, young teenagers are lining the street outside of the venue, all the chitter chatter, waiting anxiously to see the “stars”.
Last time I was at the venue it was much different atmosphere, less pre-pubescent teenagers and more adults and men with high testosterone levels. Tonight, the energy was displayed with less of a chaotic pool of bodies flying everywhere, but more of just the lungs filling the room as the crowd sing back every word.
On with the first act, Bloody Knees, who by all accounts have been seeing themselves in some very fortunate positions lately, most notably their appearance on the Radio 1 Introducing Stage at this years Reading and Leeds festival. That appearance, as well as many support slots they’ve had since, and release of the latest EP Stitches. From record to the stage, the band embellish everything they have done on record, their sound which is the most diverse of the array of acts gracing the stage tonight, they put on a great show, powering through, bring out all the stops, as though this performance and this stage was their mind, body and soul.
Next up, was Public Access T.V. who the crowd had been desperately waiting for. They were dressed to impress, from head to toe, it’s just a shame they same cannot be said for their music. Their songs, while executed well, all had similar arrangements; the band’s sound was rather uninspiring, even tedious in places, but the crowd around me were loving it. Maybe it is because the creation of music is purely subjective. You shouldn’t be objective as a writer of music writer – you write about what moves you and what you would enjoy hearing, but why does that not always translate? This question is quite open ended – it may never be truly answered, but as for this performance, I was not moved.
Finally, Circa Waves graced the stage with buoyance and smiles, as the crowd screamed with adoration. The atmosphere suddenly changed as the band kicked into gear – members were darting around, interacting with the crowd, bating them for their attention. The band had the audience in the palm of their hand; they knew this and it made for a playful like exchange. The band would engage as the show went on, and the crowd would scream whilst smart phones were held aloft to snap that precious moment. Never had I before witnessed so many smart phones being used all at once – it was like nothing was precious enough that it couldn’t be experienced without them. By no means do I say this to tell people how to conduct themselves at a concert, but it’s alarming to me that we are as a culture now need to capture and share. But lest we forget the musicians up on stage tonight whose energy on stage is certainly captivating, if that is only the only captivating sight of this evenings event. A great conclusion to a great show.
