Tonight in Manchester there are a wide range of bands playing different venues to choose from, from an old metal band at the Ritz, an British metal band at Club Academy, a legend of alt rock at the Deaf Institute and of course tonight at Sound Control the finest British punk and indie bands.
Local Mancunians, Newlands are up first playing their way through some rocky tunes that are intricate and catchy at the same time. As the band keep saying throughout their set this is their first ever live show as a band and you would never have thought it. The band is a little bit wary but looks natural and comfortable on stage and play an impressive first ever gig.
Next up is Morain playing through some of their indie tinged rock songs, ‘Animals’ sounds just as good live as it does on their EP. Other songs like ‘Are We Lost’ and ‘Between The Lines’ also sound good live and are well received. With on stage banter going back and forth with the crowd when Wil Frost talks about Billie Joes latest outburst he’s told he has one minute left and goes off stage a little too premature and it feels strange with no real ending to their set.
After Morain’s set being cut premature, up next is the all girl group Evarose who play some of the best and catchiest pop punk music out there at the moment. The girls pull in a pretty impressive sized crowd in what is a really small venue. ‘Best Left Alone’ the lead single off of their ‘Elements’ EP starts the set off well with some slight audio problems the band power through the song well. Playing four of the five EP’s songs, the punk riffs plus the heavy basslines backed up with some backing vocal harmonies really showcase all aspects of the band. The catchy ‘Cought It Up’ finishes the set off perfectly and really impresses myself and the crowd.
Finally its Straight Lines turn to hit the stage, with some people leaving after Evarose’s set this does nothing to dampen the bands mood or enthusiasm during their set. Having played numerous support slots and appearances at festivals like Slam Dunk this is their time to shine on their own headline tour and that they do well. Songs like ‘Half Gone’ , ‘Ring The Bells’ and ‘Freaks Like Us’ are a swirling mix of punk riffs, catchy guitar leads and emotive lyrics that can’t help but make you tap your foot or sing along.
Older songs like ‘All My Friends Have Joined The Army’ and ‘Set Me On Fire And Feed Me To The Wolves’ sound slower but still bring the punk riffs and sing along lyrics like “you can smash me into pieces, push me to the floor and I will only get back up, I will only get back up”. The band also bust out a song from Bryan Adams MTV Unplugged session and it brings a more fun element to the set. As the set comes to a close with the great ‘So Many Paths’ off of the albumFreaks Like Us.
Tonight’s gig shows that they deserve alot more recognition and with this UK tour in full swing, let’s hope they pick up alot more fans along the way.
4/5
Words by Aaron Wilson.