On Thursday night, feeling withered, out of place and genuinely worried about the fastest way to the toilet as I cautiously sipped a shandy, I discovered the best cure for a hangover. VERY LOUD MUSIC. Following this magnificent gig I felt dangerously human again. Go with me on this…
The evening kicked off later than planned due to PAWS being stuck in traffic, but it meant that there was a much fuller crowd for support act Bad Grammar. Having seen this boy/girl duo play before around Manchester, my hangover subsided slightly and I was rather up for it. They didn’t fail to disappoint. They are two fine musicians who play loud, quirky and danceable songs – and they seem like genuinely nice people too. If you have lost your faith in the two-piece, go look these guys up, they will definitely change your mind.
To watch PAWS live, you see a band crafted from vast amounts of touring time, who absolutely own the stage and their show. They are completely in control of the music and confident in their blistering sound, which allows them to really go crazy on stage. This was their tenth week of touring; a tour that has taken them all over the world and bought a little unwanted notoriety to their door. However, they look gloriously weather-worn and do not skimp on the sound.
Tracks from new album ‘Youth Culture Forever’ (as loved by BBC 6 Music) were thrown out to the bobbing Mancunian audience. Slices of melodic garage rock such as new single ‘Owls Talons
Clenching My Heart’ sounded gorgeous, while the tiny powerhouse of ‘Narcissist’ thumped and reverberated awesomely around the venue. Live, I prefer frontman Phillip’s vocals; less Strokes-style ‘man sings down telephone’ and more individual, more attuned to his lyrical smarts.
My favourite moment came at the end of the set, where the band clearly fancied shaking things up after numerous nights on the road. Bass player Ryan had taken to playing from in front of the stage, back up to the band mid set, but for the final song of the show (the epic ‘War Cry’) drummer Josh slung his kit onto the dance floor and took it from there. What followed was 11 minutes of dirty, dirty, grungy rock played with everything the band had from the bottom of their beings. Drums were thrashed, the bass was bounced over, the guitar was plucked from a semi-fatal position in front of an amp – it was straight out of Seattle, it was brilliant. Closing the song with bass amp feedback and simply leaving the room, I felt like I’d been privileged to see a private moment from this band, as opposed to a curtain call – it felt a bit wrong, but really cool.
The best cure for a hangover is always good music, and the kind that beats louder than your headache is certainly the best. Bad Grammar are on their way up so keep an eye on them. PAWS are one of the finest indie bands around right now with a brilliant album and even finer live show – happy I got to see that up close.
Kate Tittley
Latest posts by Kate Tittley (see all)
- ALBUM: PAWS ‘No Grace’ - June 28, 2016
- LIVE: The Fall – o2 Ritz, Manchester 19.04.16 - April 21, 2016
- ALBUM: The Coral ‘Distance Inbetween’ - March 3, 2016
