LIVE: Man Without Country - The Ruby Lounge, Manchester 19.02.15

There’s no doubt in my mind that there’s an ignorance towards electronic music that has surfaced in recent years. It seems impossible for a musician to even incorporate electronic elements into their records without being accused of being lazy or untalented. Yet in the dinginess of Manchester’s Ruby Lounge, two acts went about proving that to be nonsense in a relentless manor.

The band that had been penned in for a last-minute support slot were self-proclaimed ‘Folktronica’ duo The Dirty Tactics. The duo ooze cool from the off; Dirty Freud creates infectious, pulsating loops whilst vocalist Avital Raz provides elegant vocals which are equally as entrancing. The almost surreal soundscapes continually being established and built upon sound somewhat reminiscent of New Zealand’s Princess Chelsea.

It’s pretty hard to grasp just why I haven’t been made aware of this duo before as they glide into their track ‘Anxiety’a mysterious sounding track with echoing, poignant vocals and a subtle mix by their standards. The Dirty Tactics exhibit an array on hypnotic tracks during their thirty minute support slot, from “loop fiascoes”, as they put it, to tracks which see them incorporate various instruments such as an acoustic guitar, a sitar and an xylophone.

Headliners Man Without Country took to the stage about half an hour later, and began to attack a twelve-song set. Man Without Country is the brainchild of Ryan James and Tomas Greenhalf. They also have a live drummer, Mike Monoghan. Opener ‘Entropy’ is a complete mission statement: Fragile percussion gives way to menacing synth patterns and monstrous drumming. James’ brittle vocals are constantly being manipulated to via an effects pad attached to his mic. The band are a complete juxtaposition at times.

Their compositions are often complete sonic assaults, whilst the vocals are delicate and fragile. It’s hard not to fall under the South Wales bands’ spell. There’s little interaction from the band between songs which adds to the atmosphere of the show rather than taking from it; Man Without Country sound beautifully alien and it’d be a shame for them to spoil it by constantly talking.

The wonderfully named single ‘Closet Addicts Anonymous’ is perhaps a highlight of the set. Despite keeping a firm grip on pop hooks, MWC are at their experimental best on this track. Singular, overdriven notes accompany rigid drum patterns as the verses build, until electronic bliss elevates an unforgettable chorus. It’s tracks like this that genuinely make you wonder how Man Without Country aren’t playing much bigger venues. I mean, I know that it’s easy to say that when you see a great band at a club, but the three piece are genuinely outstanding. They’re completely likable as well as being sonic manipulators. It’s very easy to envision their next trip to Manchester being at a venue twice the size of The Ruby Lounge.

The way in which James uses his guitar is akin to Kevin Shields at his most vicious, it’s echoey, loud, prolonged – James has mastered the art of shoegaze guitar playing and turned it into something much more fun. Menacing guitar sections are often used to add a new lease of life to Man Without Country songs, it’s wonderful. A cover of The Beloved’s ‘Sweet Harmony’ shows a more stripped band side to the band, stripping the visceral elements specifically and just being left with the infectious, melodic elements. The track evokes the handful of people stood closest to the stage to finally break out into dancing, Greenhalf’s saxophone also makes an appearance.

The band continue to impress with loud, infectious, experimental tracks until finishing on ‘Laws of Motion’, a track that I genuinely could imagine being absolutely unavoidable to anybody with half an eye on new music. Man Without Country are perhaps one of the best live bands I’ve seen in recent times, and I’d be absolutely amazed if their next tour doesn’t see them entertain much bigger venues.