Live Gig Review! – Cage The Elephant @ Manchester Academy 2 – 03/10/11

For the second time in six days I'm at Manchester's Academy 2 to come see a kick-ass rock n' roll band. The weather's holding up nicely, with England still getting the last few rays of sun from the preceding weekend's late summer flourish of good weather. The gig's sold out, and everyone's dressed like they're ready to hit Newquay beach.

The atmosphere inside the academy is fantastic, with the very, and I mean very, young crowd looking and sounding enthusiastic for tonight's show. Providing support are Brit band 'Dinosaur Pile-Up', who's very heavy rock sound work's well in getting the crowd pumped for the main event. Their half-hour whisks along quickly with no fuss and they've teed the crowd up perfectly. A one to watch for the future one could easily argue. But that's not why everyone's here. We want to see the what the other side of the Atlantic has to offer.

At approximately 9.30pm, Cage The Elephant come on and come out swinging. They keep the lively pace set by Dinosaur Pile-Up by opening up with one of their biggest songs, 'In One Ear'. It's a damn fine start and the crowd are loving it. They then hit in to some new material from second LP 'Thank You, Happy Birthday'. '2024' and 'Aberdeen' hit one after another and they're sounding great, if a little slower and much different in tone than their self-titled débuts tracks. However there is plenty to admire from said début, with 'Tiny Little Robots', 'Lotus' and 'Back Against The Wall' all getting an airing. The band race through their set in next to no time, with front-man Matt Schultz saying relatively little to the crowd throughout other than to thank them here and there. However as we come to the end, the band unsurprisingly save their biggest singles for last. 'Ain't No Rest For The Wicked' gets the biggest cheer of the night, while last single 'Shake Me Down' brings the crowd back down to end their normal set.

Then something very baffling happens. The band go off for the obligatory three minutes to come back on for their encore. Which lasts all of three minutes while they play 'Sabretooth', after which they just leave. It's is a little disappointing because A) who does a one-song encore? And B) even with the encore break and song, their entire set-list only lasts one hour. A bit on the short side for a band with two albums worth of material to perform. However at £12.50 a ticket, it's hard to complain that much.

Still, Cage The Elephant are a good band, pure and simple. There is no denying the fact their brand of American rock n' roll is anything but a joy to behold. But a lack of showmanship and short set-list is a little disappointing, and you feel they just need that little bit more to become a truly must-see band. Still, a very entertaining band who are still worth checking out for a very little asking price.

3/5

Live Gig Review! - The Subways @ Manchester Academy 2: 27/09/11

Tuesday night's categorically, are not a good night. The week is still in its early stages, fun seems like it's a million miles away, and pay-day never lands on a Tuesday. So what's a broke person to do? Go and see one of Britain's finest rock n' roll bands, that's what.

Manchester Academy, in all of its three forms, has a certain gravitas to gig-goers as a venue that will always guarantee you a good time. Its intimacy almost exudes raw, sweaty rock n' roll. Which is why it is the most perfect venue for a band such as The Subways, who personify those qualities, and then a whole lot more. Their three-chord, but not at all dumb variety of rock n' roll, is a dying art-form in today's indie, light on the distortion bands, and they bring a much welcome change to that mould.

And boy do they show us how to rock. Opening with the wonderfully unashamed pro-teen anthem 'Oh Yeah', they get the already psyched up crowd going like they are all seventeen again at their very first gig. And the tunes keep on coming from their début LP, with second song 'Young For Eternity' keeping a breathless crowd tired just that little bit longer.

As well as the great classics, the new tunes hold up well with the proven hits. 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang', and not as good but still decent song, 'Popdeath' are showcased from the band's new album 'Money And Celebrity' excellently. Latest single, 'We Don't Need Money To Have A Good Time' is a particular highlight from the new crop of songs that the band have to offer on the night.

Throughout the night the band roll out songs from all three of their albums to date and there isn't a single dud in the set. 'I Want To Hear What You've Got To Say', 'Shake Shake', 'Mary', '1am'. The list of quality songs goes on and on. Highlight of the night comes from front-man Billy Lunn's request, on behalf on bassist Charlotte Cooper, for the audience to create a room-sized circle mosh-pit to the heavy-as-hell song, 'Turnaround'. The crowd immediately oblige, and hell is unleashed on Manchester Academy 2 for two minutes fifty-eight seconds.

In a world where pretty much everyone is broke, and there isn't much joy at the moment, it's great to see a band like The Subways doing what they do, and do it so well. And at a ridiculously low £10.50 a ticket, The Subways really do prove that you don't need money to have a good time.

5/5

Here's 'We Don't Need Money To Have A Good Time':