LIVE: Baby Strange – Night and Day Cafe, Manchester, 06.10.15

I’m slowly but surely doing my rounds of the small venues in Manchester, and Wednesday saw a visit to Night and Day for Baby Strange. There’s something bizarre about moving from one city to another, and seeing the same bands in each – it shouldn’t be the case, but there’s definitely a different dynamic.

The crowd was small, sure, but willing to listen nonetheless. First support came from Manchester’s very own Devils – a band adding to the array of two-pieces but adding a dash of youth and fresh sound.

Next up: Halfrican. Hailing from Glasgow – no doubt hometown buddies of Baby Strange – Halfrican took to the stage clad in self-branded Adidas style t-shirts and running shorts. With their lo-fi garage punk, and admirable energy (despite most of the crowd still being sat down) Halfrican were looking cool and sounding cooler.

By the time Baby Strange took to the stage, the venue had luckily filled up a little. Though still surprisingly empty for a band with a constantly growing fanbase, a quick call to “stand up” from Johnny Madden saw the crowd jump to their feet and create and instantly better atmosphere. Perhaps it was just the audience that night, or perhaps people are generally more subdued in Manchester, but the crowd was oddly static. It was definitely not a matter of not enjoying the gig – everyone was still willing to sing along and subtly tap their feet in appreciation, but it took the band telling them “it’s OK to dance” for any real movement to happen.

Playing through the much loved likes of ‘Distance Yourself’, ‘Pure Evil’ and ‘California Sun’, as well as new tracks including ‘Pleasure City’, Baby Strange kept characteristically quiet throughout the set. There’s an apparent focus on sounding strong and keeping their heads in the game; and it works. Crowd size and participation aside, Baby Strange never fail to sound great.

Melissa Svensen
@MelYeaahh

Melissa Svensen

Melissa Svensen

Melissa, 22. Editor. Student, music journalist, probably talking about Blur or Bowie