Blaenavon
– GULLIVER’S, MANCHESTER –
A nearly annual event now, this night is a chance for former Wu Lyf man Francis Lung and others, selected by him, to come together to show us their individual musical gifts just in time for Christmas. Tonight’s feast is far better than your average Christmas dinner though, with indie rock act Blaenavon, electro-poppers Bernard and Edith and of course, Francis Lung himself making up the bill. Also, all this was available at the princely sum of £6 – not bad eh?
What’s more is that the upstairs of Gullivers has been specially gift-wrapped for the occasion – honestly, each instrument on stage has some form of wrapping paper on it. Christmas lights dazzle the stage and festive pop songs help ease those last day before going back to work blues.
Blaenavon
While all this adds to the spirit of the evening, it’s of course the music that matters most and up first are Blaenavon. These are a three-piece making their name with some finely-crafted alternative gems and a lead singer with a voice not unlike Jamie Lee of Money and Ellery Roberts of Wu Lyf in terms of its overwhelming power.
Behind them on a projector screen we see dusty autumn leaves swirl in the wind, as they seek to impart the first present of the evening. The first few songs reveal a band bursting with poppy songs, clever riffs and more importantly, an element of depth to counterbalance all that fun. However, as the set continues their depth outgrows their earlier pop moments and Blaenavon reach an impressive new echelon.
Two songs particularly impress, one being a more grungy song with an earnestly beautiful closing coda and the other being a cover of the Darkness’ Christmas Time (don’t let the bells ring) – yes you heard that right. This though is a calm restrained version, with the lead singer losing Justin Vernon’s flamboyance and executing the cover with a wonderfully reserved tone. Its a great way to end the set and if they can make that brilliant, they can clearly lend their hand to anything. Tonight’s first present does not disappoint
Bernard and Edith
Bernard and Edith
After signing to Bella Union, our favourite Manchester duo went onto release Jem, an album as rife with sophisticated electronics as it is with great pop moments. Since, they have seen their stature grow and grow, playing all across Europe before returning home to support Everything Everything at The Apollo. Not bad going.
This is the third time I’ve seen them in 2015, but my excitement for them never relents. As they emerge on stage, it’s clear this excitement is not unfounded. Nick (Bernard) Delap’s dense electronics ring out, as Greta lays a bare and brutal vocal of Nina Simone’s ‘I love you porgy’ over them. It’s wonderfully reinterpreted and Greta’s deep resonant vocal is enchanting and demands our attention.
An impressive transition then takes us into a new untitled song. This is brooding and Greta’s vocal is sultry as she seductively repeats ‘taste me under the apple tree.’ It retains everything we love about Bernard and Edith, but it’s somehow a step up and a really exciting sign of where they might be going.
They then roll through a number of favourites from Jem, ‘Mr Crocodile’ is mysterious and alluring while ‘Heartache’ is an irresistible pop gem and one of my favourite songs of 2015. Despite this intensity, Greta remains very human throughout bantering with the crowd and Nick stands coy and thoughtful to her side. Nick though comes to the front in their wonderful closer ‘Girl Nights Out.’ The guitar on this is striking and warm and layers Greta’s vocal perfectly. Its a truly brilliant performance and there is no Manchester act that excites me quite as much.
Francis Lung
Francis Lung
It’s now time for the Christmas Party host to add his party piece to proceedings. His singer/songwriter style sounds like Bill Callahan at times and at LCD Soundsystem in other moments, it’s both somber and rapturous.
Francis Lung wins the prize for best stage entrance immediately though, walking through the whole crowd in a Father Christmas outfit shouting ‘Merry Christmas. Ho! Ho! Ho!’ This entrance just gets better when Santa is joined by his band, a Fake Christmas tree, a little helper and a turkey no less. It’s a bit different to the last time I saw Francis, when he came in as last minute support for Girlpool with just an acoustic guitar slung around his neck.
Videos of newborn lambs jumping through green grass play behind them as they play the measured ‘Back One Day.’ It’s quite surreal to watch this band in dress up play such a serious song. ‘Age Limits’ starts off with a similar vibe but suddenly explodes toward the end as Francis’ voice transforms, shouting the chorus out victoriously – it’s wonderful.
This surge in energy then sets the tone for the rest of the performance. Francis continues to play a bloody good Santa Claus and even throws a present into the crowd. If things were going well though, ‘Selfish Man’ completely transforms things. If ‘Heartache’ is Bernard and Edith’s best pop song, this if Francis Lung’s and it creates a great moment when the crowd suddenly interrupt into a fit of dancing.
The energy levels between crowd and artist has now been set and it doesn’t let up in the next song where Francis’ voice again breaks loose over a nice more disco influenced number. As the set comes to an end, the fact the fans shout ‘one more tune’ at eleven fifteen on a Sunday evening says all I need to say about Francis’ performance and his impeccable hosting skills. All round to Francis’ for Christmas next year then?
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Hi all, my name is Paddy and I have a love for everything from African music to indie to house (basically anything other than heavy metal). Gigging and listening to albums are genuinely the things I most value and love doing.
