Thee Hypnotics
-NIGHT PEOPLE, MANCHESTER-
For the first time in 20 years, the classic line-up of Thee Hypnotics have reformed for a 15-date tour and tonight sees them come to Manchester’s Night People.
Opening for them we have The Goa Express, a five piece of young lads who have been attracting increased amounts of attention due to their easy Californian sound and funky beats. They begin in style, swiftly moving into first single ‘Kiss Me’ released last year on Wrong Way Records, then into ‘GOA’ another one that sees the interested crowd edge forward. The rest of their set is new material that they have been working at, and it shows as the music is more sophisticated and showcases to the truest extent how they have grown as a band. As they secure ever more potent support slots, it would seem they only way is up for The Goa Express, only time will tell where it will stop.
London’s Thee Hypnotics, consisting of co-founders Jim Jones (vocals) and Ray Hanson (guitar), with Phil Smith (drums) and Jeremy Cottingham (bass) are back in Manchester after a significant absence and if the packed venue is anything to go by, they have been missed. Opening with ‘Soul Trader’ from 1989, they waste no time in getting back into full flow with guitars flying before moving into 1994’s ‘Heavy Liquid’ from The Very Crystal Speed Machine. The set progresses rapidly, with sufficient crowd interaction to raise a cheer as people groove along happily. These guys know how to put on a show and the strutting, pouting and general mayhem on stage is all part of the fun.
They make their political views clear for anyone who isn’t sure, but judging from the resulting cheer, they clearly are. They conclude with ‘Shakedown’, possibly their most well-known track which receives a cheer and the most intense stage action. They return for an encore with ‘Justice in Freedom’, seeing them come full circle in the set.
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Lover of all things psych and shoegaze and the mind behind Astral Elevator; constantly seeking new musical experiences in a world full of noise.
