LIVE: The Strypes – The Ritz, Manchester 26.09.15

To say that the Ritz was buzzing on Saturday night would be an understatement. The lads from Cavan stormed through an electrifying set, swinging effortlessly from track to track that shook the Ritz to its core.

I just cannot get over how confident the boys have become in comparison to their days of touring with the Arctic Monkeys, just two years ago. I can definitely see the next Monkeys in the making. Farrelly’s incredibly powerful, raspy vocals hung heavily over the ecstatic crowd as he dominantly gripped the mic howling, throwing himself head first into Little Victories single ‘Get into It’, as Guitarist Josh McClorey continued to jump frantically from amp to amp in an attempt to rile up an already riled crowd.

The chemistry between the band really is something beautiful, it’s a genuine love of music and playing live in particular. Farrelly and O’Hanlon’s Libs-like on stage relationship is a thing of beauty, something that you really want from a live band. They bounce playfully off each other between an explosive harmonica solo or two and a flamboyant flick of the hips, whilst O’Hanlon flings himself manically and aimlessly from bass drum to the edge of the stage throughout crowd favourites ‘Hometown Girls’, ‘You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover’ and ‘Eighty-Four’. Now while all of this is happening on one side of the stage, we have McClorey peacocking on the other, lashing out sensational solo after solo wherever he can, as Walsh holds the set together with dynamic drum fills.

The boys brought the Ritz to its knees with new track ‘I Need To Be Your Only’ jam-packed with that raw scrappy live energy that makes The Strypes. The four let loose and are the most comfortable that I have ever seen them, because they know that they’ve smashed it. Well, some more than others as Bassist Pete O’Hanlon throws himself from the stage into the crowd. What a way to draw their triumphant sweat drenched set to a close.

Abbi Parcell