MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA | LIVE REVIEW
CF10, Cardiff University Students Union, Mon 6 Oct
The incredible heat inside Cardiff University’s CF10 hall was totally at odds with the October chill that permeated the air outside the venue. The reason for this stark contrast was that the hall was packed out with folk anxiously waiting to see Atlanta’s Manchester Orchestra. Touring in support of their rather great fourth album, Cope, the indie rockers revolve around frontman and songwriter Andy Hull, whose honest, personal lyrics and distinctive voice – teamed with a knack for writing a belter of a tune – have garnered much critical acclaim.
When they did finally get on stage there was no grand entrance, no hoopla, just a gentle greeting to the audience and a pant-soiling guitar chord that led into opener, Pride. It was my first time at this particular venue so I didn’t know what to expect in terms of acoustics, but they were very decent; you could hear every aspect of the band clearly, from the taut bass and crushing guitars, to Hull’s soaring vocals and rasping screams. It’s been a while since I’ve witnessed a rock singer with such a commanding voice. He was incredible and his efforts were certainly appreciated, as were his bandmates’. Though clearly well rehearsed and tight, there was still a looseness to these guys that gave the night an intimate, personal feel, with Hull even shaming his lead guitarist after a mistake in one of the songs.
Having listened to the band for a few years, I did wonder how they’d keep a crowd interested for the duration: a lot of their material is pedal to the metal, with not much in the way of light and shade. It turned out to be a valid concern. Although Hull did do a couple of songs on his tod, most of the set was very much all on one level. This did get a tad tiresome towards the end, as one song bled into another, and I found myself checking my watch. Having said that, that one level is pretty fucking awesome and I didn’t catch too many complaining, but with a voice that deadly and commanding, a few more quieter moments really would have added to the show.
words IAN ROGERS
