Kult Country_Photo by Elspeth Moore
– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER –
As I enter the musical cave that is The Ruby Lounge I can say that I haven’t seen it this busy in a long time. The atmosphere is great, people queuing for the bar, waiting for the band to start and the loud noise of chatter.
Once Kult Country arrives and begin their set everyone darts to the stage and the anticipation is fulfilled. Having not really heard much from these guys I don’t know what to expect. I can say I really enjoy the whole set. It takes you on a slight psychedelic journey, through dark and spacey sounds. And my favourite part of the set has to be the collaboration of the main drum kit with the mini drum at the front – awesome.
After a quick changeover Crocodiles arrive on stage.
Having missed them the last time they played in Manchester I’m excited! All the way from San Diego, they’re in the middle of their tour, making their way through Europe. Brandon Welchez (vocals and guitar) arrives on stage looking as cool as ever in a leopard print t-shirt. I have to say the whole band looks more rock n roll than their musical sound depicts them.
They move through their set as the audience eagerly anticipates another buzz out of the extremely loud speaker. I can’t get enough of them, and I have to say that the speakers are at their loudest tonight. No matter where you are in the building you get the psychedelic rock, indie sound that pours out of Crocodiles.
The band goes straight into each track making one dedication to a lot of people they know are at the gig.
Now if you haven’t heard anything from these guys, then first of all shame on you! Second of all if you do start Googling them or otherwise you must know one thing, no matter what you think of them via the internet it really will be a totally different experience live. We know most, if not every band is better live, that’s why we live for the live gigs that our favourites put on. But the energy that they give to their songs that you see on stage is really what makes the Crocodiles.
‘Neon Jesus’ is one of the best and a band classic which initially put them on the map back in 2008. You can see that it is one of their well known songs, as they all collectively come alive with the audience.
What I really love about this band is how they each seem to be portraying their own personality through their music. Particularly lead guitarist Charles Rowell who is totally into it, and seems to be in his own world feeling the music from the rest of the band.
They go crazy during the instrumental and I love the energy in the room. This is one of the first live gigs I’ve seen in Manchester for a while, and I love the entire vibe of the night, everyone seems to be enjoying it.
If you want to hear the latest from Crocodiles their recent album ‘Crimes of Passion’ is a must (read review here).
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Crocodiles_Photo by Elspeth Moore
Crocodiles_Photo by Elspeth Moore
I'm a northern bird that appreciates all the lovely sounds this city has to offer. What I love about gigs, is that not only the music but the venue and atmosphere can create such a vibe that it takes you somewhere else.
