Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

It’s been a long wait, but after over five years of waiting ‘Manic Street Preachers’ return to Liverpool for a sold out show, and ready to make amends. They start immediately with early ‘You Love Us’ and ‘ Motorcycle Emptiness’ from their debut ‘Generation Terrorist’ which despite being 20 years old still sounds brilliant live and has not aged one bit! The set was littered with tracks from every album the Manics have done both old and new including songs from not so well received albums ‘Lifeblood’ and ‘Know Your Enemy’. It really was a ‘best of’ setlist with only four new tracks being played amongst the 23 song strong setlist. In terms of the band members themselves ‘James Dean Bradfield’s’ guitar work was at its highest level this evening with every solo he produced better than the last and sounding note perfect. While Nicky Wire was jumping around like a child on a trampoline looking like a fan at his very first gig he was brimming with enthusiasm and energy.

The crowd had some good banter with James, but due to being at the back of the venue and James strong’s fast paced talking and thich Welsh accent I could not understand anything he said (it got cheers from the crowd though). The surprise of the evening came when ‘Echo and the Bunnymen’s’ and Liverpool own ‘Ian Mcculloch’ appeared and was singing on the latest single ‘Some Kind Of Nothing’ and also singing Bunnymen’s signature tune ‘The Killing Moon’. A strong setlist played flawlessly providing a memorable night and certainly worth the wait.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Here is what Manic Street Preachers played on the night:

1. You Love Us
   
2. Your Love Is Not Enough
   
3. Motorcycle Emptiness
   
4. (Its Not War) – Just The End Of Love
   
5. Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
   
6. Roses In the Hospital
   
7. Postcards From A Young Man
   
8. This Is Yesterday
   
9. Everything Must Go
   
10. Autumnsong
11. Some Kind Of Nothing (with Ian Mcculloch)
12. Tsunami
    
13. From Despair To Where
    
14. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
    
15. You Stole The Sun From My Heart
    
    (Acoustic)
16. The Killing Moon
    
    (Echo and the Bunneymen cover) (with Ian Mcculloch) (Acoustic)
17. Faster
    
18. Empty Souls
19. Golden Platitudes
    
20. Suicide Is Painless (Theme From M*A*S*H)
    
21. Kevin Carter
22. Ocean Spray
    
23. A Design For Life

After a moody piano intro makes us believe where getting a possible upgrade in quality up pops ‘The Promise’ which shows us that where getting much of the same that FH debut did. Credit will be given in the form that musically they have improved. However FH major flaws on their debut was a lack of a memorable song and here the curse continues. As I said the instrumental side of the band has improved and inst so much in the background anymore. Unfortunately any change of any song leaving it’s mark is crushed by lead singer ‘Kenneth Nixon’ who’s woeful, generic lyrics and ability to stay at the same vocal tone throughout the entire album whether he’s singing the verse or the chorus brings the album down. Once again it’s a frustrating album from beginning to end with lacklustre song after another that most people will give one spin and proberly never listen to again because it gives you little to no reason to warrant repeat sessions.

Unfortunately FH are riding the coattails of a cover version of a rap song and still have not forged a sound of their own that warrants attention on any level by any well seasoned music lover.

1. Intro
2. The Promise
3. Wake Up
4. Bittersweet Sundown
5. WarZone
6. You Stupid Girl
7. Weight of the World
8. Fool with Dreams
9. Back to Go Again
10. Playing with Fire
11. Palace of Words
12. Photographs & Gasoline
13. The Burn

Song To Try Before You Buy: The Promise, Photographs & Gasoline, The Burn

Song To Avoid: Wake Up

Attack! Attack! (UK) are one of them bands who seem to pop up everywhere I go, like a stalker that I know is there, but never took the time to pay attention to them. When now is the time to pay attention as the boys have produced a welcome mat to their sonic rock sounds! It’s typical radio friendly fodder that just has enough to be revisited multiple times on your sound player. This is mostly helped by a rhythm section that is the main stand out part of the song. The guitar parts of the song are also just above average while the vocals are ok with the others parts of the Attack! Attack! machine masking some pretty below par lyrics.

Fair to say this won’t be the best song from the new album, but it does its job at wetting your lips wanting that little bit more. Mission accomplished!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Sharks where the first on stage to showcase themselves in Academy one with there nod to old school punk sound. Well that’s if you just listened to the lead singer who was a mix between Johnny Rotten and a drunk guy in the corner rambling away about lost loves and how shit the world has become. It’s a perfectly fine vocal to have but the dirty vocals are mixed with a much more cleaner sound from his band mates which doesn’t mesh well with the overall sound of the band. If you could ignore that flaw then the bands song are far too bland and unmemorable to cause any effect. To the early comers it was annoying filler like someone standing on your toes for 30 minutes.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars

The ever-touring Twin Atlantic are a band who know how to warm a crowd up. Another room full of people with no knowledge of the band where quickly educated in the delights of the Scottish foursome who are gathering “Lightspeed” (yes that’s a pup) with last year debut album Vivarium. The main reason to keep your eyes firmly glued and your eyes wide open is guitarist Barry Mckenna who has the decency to dominate every song which is a feat over Sam McTrusty biting vocals, and a rhythm section who’s desire was to entice you in. Each song was scatted in Barry influence leaving a permanent mark on all who heard, and song’s ender was met with louder and louder responses from the won over crowd. All this before Barry took out his cello showing another string to TA versatility and a part that may be incorporated in TA’s future sound. If there is such a thing as a support act putting pressure on the main act to perform then TA are the perfect tonic for any support slot.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

After the Academy was well and truly woken up and a new album to promote, Gaslight Anthem hit the stage with the worst looking skulls and bones backdrops you’re likely to see. Tonight’s crown is a clear mixture of old and new so Gaslight certainly have a wide range of fans. They started off risky will American Slang which is the lead single off the same named album. The early risk never took off as this over friendly radio song created a soba start to proceedings. It certainly affected the songs that followed which almost left you in a trance of dullness. It took Gaslight most popular track “59 sound” to break them out the glass dome and the crowd who had been mostly silent also came out of there holes to sing back every note…..welcome to the gig.

Unfortunately this would be one of the few highlights of the set. For all the emotion tinged to these bluesy punk numbers on the record, live just doesn’t do the songs justice and virtually pass by with any impression made. This was highlighted more so with the new songs, which to be honest didn’t make me want to grab the nearest CD player, pop in the album and blast it through the streets. They were played at a safe tone and not given the extra push needed to make the songs hit above average. Saying that lead singer Brain Fallon looks excited to be playing Manchester and his soulful, even iconic voice did it best to pierce through what was in truth a backing band behind him that didn’t impress until a cover of The Who’s “Baba O’Really. A set that promised so much, but in the end delivered little in the way of excitement or memorable moments….shame.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

American Slang
Old White Lincoln
The Spirit of Jazz
Stay Lucky
The ’59 Sound
Bring It On
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Miles Davis and the Cool
Boxer
The Diamond Church Street Choir
The Queen of Lower Chelsea
Orphans
Great Expectations
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Baba O’Riley (The Who cover)
Casanova, Baby!
We Came to Dance
Film Noir
Here’s Lookin’ At You, Kid
Drive
The Backseat

Now everything you expect from Motion is here, quirky lyrics with bouncy melodies that you could easily jump around with. That being said Motion songs have become more and more personal over the last couple of albums with Justin Pierre referring this song as the most personal song he’s ever written. That could be the only sane reason why this is being released as a single as it’s a bland number that gives you little reason for you to give this, repeat listens. A song that only works as a part for the vehicle that is the album, and when played on its own the song’s brutal shortcomings are on full show. Only the lyrics stand out here with extremely average sounds behind it lost in the shadows of Justin Pierre witty remarks.

A song that should of stayed as a album track, nothing more – nothing less!

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

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Before that we get Mirrors who as soon as they head out you think poor man Kraftwerk with their sharp suits and grim expressions. As soon as they start their love of 80′s synth (boy do they stick to this formula) you still thinking poor man Kraftwerk, and is this it? I might have well been seeing a covers band instead of the blandness on show here. I’m not even convinced that Mirrors are about the music as more effort was put in to making a spectacle, and stand out visually rather than musically. The matching suits, the monotone expressions, and the big screen playing short films above them. Even visually they failed as these short films where just pointless, a camera spinning around a tree for four minutes. Need I say more? Amidst all the forgettable music on show one song named ‘Into the Heart’ which for a few minutes made this set a bearable watch.

If Mirrors are to go progress they really need to look at what they’re here for, to play music or just play out their own arty wet dreams.

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars

After fighting the urge to venture to the toilet thus not losing my great vantage point of the stage I noticed that the house lights (or lack of) where missing in attendance…cutbacks eh!

With all the praise heaped upon Delphic in such a short space of time, the majority of people where possibly here based on what they read or heard. It possibly showed in the first part of the set as allot of people nodded away to openers ‘Carrion Call’ and ‘Doubt’ feeling the band out, and trying to get adjusted to the many dynamics the band have in their sound. These dynamics are the reason Delphic stand out in the first place, keyboards that make a nod to dance music new and old, but they have that added twist with drums, and guitar that makes there mark instead of filling a void or being in the background. Neither of these components overlaps the other, and one impresses just as much as the other. This works best on the longer songs like ‘Red Lights’ or ‘Counterpoint’ which really got the crowd sweaty, and where the stand out songs in a very solid set. The crowd where won over by the end. Any doubts about this band can be put in the bin. There sound inst as remarkable as other people would make it seem, but they do have the tools, and the confidence to go further sooner rather than later.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Also on a separate note the visual aspect of Delphic set was certainly a added bonus it certainly brought more to the set.  I didn’t want to mention that in the review after me berating the previous band for focusing on visuals rather than the sound. Saves all the hypocrite comments .