Yung
– FALLOW CAFÉ, MANCHESTER –
Walking up the stairs into the Fallow Cafe’s gig space for the first time, you’d be forgiven for believing that you had come up the wrong way and that this was the route to the stage rather than to the crowd. Entering the room we effectively join Church Party for the final few minutes of their set, which combined with their guitarist making a brief sojourn off stage creates a unique atmosphere in the already intimate room. The term ‘support band’ becomes even more relevant whilst Yung plug in, as Church Party take their positions to make up the front row of the audience, whilst we assemble behind them. In a sense, their name sets the perfect vibe for the evening, as the spectators tonight resemble the loyal congregation of a Sunday morning who’ve just discovered an unlocked vault of communion wine.
Armed with a pint and now suitably distanced from the stage, we watch as Yung begin to blast though a set littered with material from new album A Youthful Dream. It soon becomes clear during opener ‘The Hatch’ that we made the right decision to take a step back, as the bands performance area can barely contain the weight of the Danish 4 piece, let alone two rather incongruous onlookers. This becomes increasingly relevant during the pummelling renditions of the deceptively poppy ‘Commercial’ followed by the punky ‘Blanket’. Frontman Mikkel Silkjær has stated in interviews that he can write pop and punk songs side by side quite comfortably, and the combination of these two tracks in the set highlights this ability to combine an eclectic mix of styles. Next track ‘Uncombed Hair’ then merges these two elements into one song which switches tempo almost unnoticeably from first verse to chorus.
Silkjær and guitarist Emil Zathsen’s dual assault builds on deceptively clean guitar tones to create the layered, heavy sound that Yung as a live outfit convey so well. Silkjær jokily states that to finish, his band will play two ‘classics’ from the EP’s Alter and These Thoughts Are Like Mandatory Chores, 2 and 1 year olds respectively, but as the chorus from ‘Nobody Cares’ kicks in, this statement seems less tongue in cheek by the second. Once again, the juxtaposition of light and heavy exercises the bands full repertoire, as Frederik Nybo Veile’s drumming verges from hardcore to minimal, post-punk tempo keeping. Both styles serve to compliment the exemplary song writing ability of the band, along with Silkjær’s relentless energy which frequently threatens to resign bassist Tobias Guldborg Tarp to the side stage position we initially inhibited. Despite his unforgiving task to remain on the tight platform, he manages to channel the vigour of Peter Hook’s melodic bass technique throughout the set and closer ‘Blue Uniforms’ contains a bass line that perfectly holds together the cacophony of noise the track descends into, as Silkjær is reunited with his guitar after it’s his turn to make an inevitable brief departure from the confines of the stage.
The Fallow Cafe’s allure can be seen to be as much down to its understated nature as to its capacity to host excellent bands, Homeshake having playing here only a few weeks before. Located only minutes away from Fallowfield’s student district, the venue is so discreet it almost blends into the surrounding terraces. This homelike quality is conducive to the whole affair, creating an intimacy that Yung’s melancholy lyrics seem to cry out for. However, most importantly, it provides a roof whilst many fellow Mancunians are getting, for want of a better phrase, completely bloody drenched, at Heaton Park in the North of the city for annual festival Parklife. Sparing a thought for those unfortunate punters, who no doubt made the best of the bad weather as is the Mancunian way, we make our way home satisfied that with bands and venues like this, the youthful dream that Yung’s music conveys has tonight become a reality.
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As an English Literature student it seemed almost a prerequisite that I should pursue some form of writing, so apologies for any undergraduate pretentiousness that is detected. I try to catch concerts in both my hometown of Manchester and my adopted University hometown of Sheffield. I started regularly attending gigs as recently as 2015, and since then have continued to turn up as frequently as possible. Personal highlights include Horsebeach's debut Manchester show and Eagulls' gig at the Broomhall Centre in Sheffield.
