Cabbage
-YES, MANCHESTER-
After listening to Cabbage over the past couple of years or so, I knew there was something I was personally missing. Certain music press were raving about them being the band we needed, pushing a political mess into people’s faces. For myself, just hearing their recordings, I wasn’t completely on board the “Cabbage are finally our generation’s punk band!” boat, not that I wasn’t willing to step aboard, I just thought I’d better see them live first.
Originating from Mossley, a small town close enough for them to be local lads, I am defiantly getting a feeling it’s a slight homecoming for the lads, after not playing in the city since Christmas. The lights go out and comically the theme tune of Coronation Street is played as the band walk onto stage with lead singer Lee Broadbent gracefully clutching a can of Fosters.
The release of their latest single ‘Torture’ is what they hit the stage to, it’s arguably the most radio friendly track they have released yet, lyrically great and still very much in keeping with their unique sound. The crowd are not quite reacting to it like a punk crowd would but nevertheless are probably needing to save their energy for what is about to come. ‘Uber Capitalist Death Trade’, arguably their most recognised song, erupts most of the crowd in this intimate venue and with that as they would have said at the Grand National a few weeks ago, “We’re off and running!”. With that I am ready to get on board the ship. Total chaos is sparked and Cabbage have us all in the palm of their hand for the next hour or so.
Taking a slight break mid set, Lee says what I initially think is a football reference to the derby early this week: “Who lost this week?”, but in fact it is, “Who have we lost this week?”. The band then spread out a huge ‘Piccadilly Rats’ banner across the stage and fittingly dedicate the song ‘Tell Me Lies About Manchester’ to Ray Boddington, the lead dancer of the famous busking band that any true Manc would have seen down Market Street on a weekend, who was tragically struck by a tram earlier this month.
I can’t help myself but have a little mosh to the next tune they play, ‘Terrorist Synthesiser’, the tune just sticks a middle finger up to all the bastards across the world causing fear and is just a belter of a punk tune in general. This is the set highlight in my eyes, a moment of clarity amongst the bouncing crowd and beer tossing; what I’m watching is what we need.
A band to balance perfectly chaos and politics into music without becoming un-humble like many bands do, there is no doubt that the band are politely intoxicated, yet we’re not watching a smacked-up Pete Doherty falling around the stage disappointing the fans that have paid hard earned money to come to the gig. It’s time we give the way to bands like Cabbage and Idles, to push what is wrong with this generation, into the faces of the mainstream media with music and rage.
Leaving the stage with ‘Kevin’ from their first EP then through to the triumphant ‘Necroflat in the Palace’, the whole crowd shouting along to the lyrics, “I WAS BORN IN THE NHS, I WANNA DIE IN THE NHS”, front man Lee then hands out his remaining cans of Fosters to the crowd and we all leave knowing we have seen something not just special but also raw to the bone.
Cabbage: Official | Facebook | Twitter
