The Lucid Dream
-BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER-
The Lucid Dream have been garnering a reputation for brilliance over the years, a standard that they maintain with every release and every live performance. Their fan base in Manchester has always been loyal and tonight they take to the stage of Band on the Wall, which they tell us will be their busiest headline show to date.
Opening we have Liverpool’s Pale Rider, a four piece with a lot of attitude and one hell of a sound. Formed in 2017, Ben Russell (vocals, guitar), Fran Codman (lead guitar), Louis Dutton (bass) and Sophie Thompson (drums), Pale Rider bonded over a love of The Stooges’ Fun House, The Black Angels and wild space-rock. They are a new entity to most, but the cavernous room is soon filling as they take to the stage and channel motorik beats, distorted fuzz laden guitars and empowered vocals. Their set raises more than a cheer or two and it’s almost certain that their popularity will have grown after this set – one to watch out for.
Lancaster’s Three Dimensional Tanx have been around for some time now and seem to have a knack for picking the best bills to be on, always putting out a special performance when they do and tonight is no exception. Their upbeat punk inspired riffs contrast with a heavy synth and unique vocal style. They soon get the crowd dancing and the packed room are jiving away merrily. The atmosphere is electric, and I don’t think there is a still body in the room. The two bands so far have been the perfect warm up for our headliners.
Carlisle’s The Lucid Dream have gone from strength to strength with every turn they make, gathering a fan base so loyal that as soon as they announce a new show, or a new release, there is an instant hype and so tonight’s gathering has been the source of much talk. They open the set with a fantastic new track which they tell us is from their upcoming LP, something to look forward to, before going into some more well-known tracks such as ‘Bad Texan’ and ‘I’m A Star In My Own Right’ from Compulsion Songs. The inclusion of their latest single ‘SX1000’ has the crowd in rapture, it’s a slightly different entity to their other stuff, but no less brilliant. They conclude with ‘Mona Lisa’ from the self-titled The Lucid Dream LP which sees the packed venue bouncing as the pacey track races to completion.
Three strong sets from three interesting bands, three different versions of psychedelia in a packed venue with a superb sound, what more can you ask for…
The Lucid Dream: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter
Lover of all things psych and shoegaze and the mind behind Astral Elevator; constantly seeking new musical experiences in a world full of noise.
