Gallery Circus
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER –
Talented is a word we often use when describing musicians, and rightly so. It is only right that we shine a light on the ability of those who put themselves out there for our entertainment. Anyone who has ever performed, or has even been around performers will testify that it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to make it as a musician. I play musical instruments myself, and I’m sure I am not the only one who has gone to a gig and stood there thinking ‘I could play everything they are playing, if I practiced’. So am I saying that we mistake hard work for talent? There are other factors. The right image, having the ability to connect with an audience and of course good song writing are all ingredients in the recipe for success, and all certainly require a certain talent to perfect. I guess my question is, how often are you left in awe of the sheer technical ability of a musician? I call it the ‘fuck off’ moment, when a musician does something that you could not even begin to comprehend how to do. You get a rush of adrenaline as your internal dialogue try’s to comprehend what you are witnessing. I’m talking about high level technical ability, the type of musician that would usually be performing classical or jazz music. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you your new favourite band, Gallery Circus. There will be no shortcuts here, no programmed beats or samples just good old fashioned rock.
As a two piece blues-rock combo it is easy to lean over and grab my copy of Lazy Journalism 101, and compare them to other two piece bands such as The White Stripes, The Black Keys and Royal Blood. Actually, that wouldn’t be a million miles away, because when I think about it those three bands are actually quite different from each other and Gallery Circus can seemingly do it all. Daniel Ross is very much a guitar virtuoso in the mould of a Steve Vai, except replacing the outdated guitar shredding for carefully constructed riffs that grab his 60’s psychedelic esc vocal melodies and drag them kicking and screaming through each song. His technical ability and ear for a great melody make Daniel Ross one of the most formidable front men I have seen performing live in recent times. So why is it that I’m not watching him play?
Gallery Circus
Daniels brother Graham plays the drums, or should I say he hits the drums. He hits the drums hard. His energetic and expressive drumming style has me fixated. It is organised chaos and I can never predict what drum he will hit next and how he is going to hit it, except he will hit it hard. On top of the technical showcase and ass whooping being displayed on the poor drum kit, Graham spends half the set stood up and he never misses a beat. That’s right, he plays the drums stood up! Graham Ross plays the drums better stood up than your mother does sat down (I know someone out there will think they are the exception here as their mother is awesome at the drums. Well guess what, you are the exception. You are the only person I was referring to).
Maybe Daniel is feeling a bit envious of the attention Graham is getting (and probably also annoyed that his brother stole his look) because when I momentarily look away from the beat down the drums are receiving I notice he is simultaneously singing, playing guitar and playing a keyboard. I watch on in awe, and to put the cherry on this awesome gig of a cake Daniel struts over to Graham playing his guitar and as soon as he is in range he misses a strum as his brother lands a perfectly placed drum stick shot across the strings of the guitar to sound the chord. Both brothers carry on playing as if this was no big deal, show-offs.
Go and have a listen to their awesome new single ‘Hollywood Drip’, but more importantly go and see Gallery Circus play live. You really are missing out if you don’t.
So, to the main event. If you have never heard of King Charles, he probably looks exactly as you imagine. He’s magnificent and dignified, or in a word, regal. Maybe best known for touring the UK and The United States with Mumford and Sons, Charles is a classically trained singer and competition winning songwriter. His music is a vibrant and exciting blend of folk and pop. Respect must go to Charles, who is in Manchester, half way through playing an impressive 28 shows in 28 days. All that and he is also set to DJ at tonight’s after show party. Fit for a monarch indeed. It is evident that there is a lot of love between Charles and his audience, so it seems appropriate that we are at a sold out Manchester Gorilla on Saint Valentine’s Day. Tonight he effortlessly switches between getting intimate with the audience by playing solo acoustic material, and rocking out with his full 5 piece band. Stand out tracks include his hits ‘Mississippi Isabel’, ‘Ivory Road’, ‘Love Lust’ and a fun cover of Paul Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’. My personal favourite is ‘Bam Bam’, a complex yet extremely fun song. If you haven’t heard it yet, you really should.
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