Mystery Jets
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER –
An array of blinding technicolour lights fill the shadows of the grimy tunnel that is Gorilla. A Friday night in Manchester consisting of sweat, beer and live music – there’s not much more you could ask for.
The back drop of the stage donning Mystery Jets’ latest album cover, Curve Of The Earth, starts to pulsate as the band walk out from the wings to a clever and mood-setting voice over. As the opening riffs of ‘Telomere’ begin to ring out across the packed out venue, the crowd, largely consisting of middle-aged drunkards, begin to sway and bounce off each other like pinballs. Looking around at the audience, the spitting image of a young Tom Jones stands out, epitomising the naturally hypnotising music – it is a strange and enjoyable sight.
The band are back from a two-year break with new, rough-looking bassist Jack Flanagan. The edgy dude with the red frizzy hair is a solid addition to the band, giving more of a lazy grunge vibe to a very dreamy, polished group. The new album which is the glorious product of two years’ hard work, is the main focus of tonight’s setlist – and the crowd are lapping up every second of it.
The low, soothing tones of lead guitarist William Rees’ voice strikes through his own solo verses, his refined harmonies trickling through around Blaine’s perfected falsetto, like the yin and yang of indie-rock vocals. Portrayed to a completely sold-out venue, the soul-melting duo leaves gig-goers hanging on their every word.
‘Midnight’s Mirror’, placed midway through the set, echoes with a deep, melancholy vibe that seems to speak to the crowd on a different wavelength. Allied with other highlights from the new release such as ‘Bombay Blue’, the band pulls their loyal following into proud chants throughout, their lyrics flying back at them and uniting each and every member of the audience. The glad undertones of the majority of their set seems to remedy a crowd that has clearly yearned for the captivating foursome in their absence.
As the set moves on and the classics are pulled out, the crowd need only the intro of ‘Half in Love With Elizabeth’ to play before everyone (myself included) is writhing in contempt. Still chanting the lyrics as the song draws to its close, Will chants back with “I’m half in love with Manchester”, to which the crowd begins to swoon. His powerful, overdriven guitar licks flood the crowd with awe, swimming through the wave of heads and leaving every set of knees quivering.
Much like the mesmerising rainbow spectrum behind them, the four-piece entice the crowd with every last infectious chorus; every resonating slam of the bass, and the feel-good rhythms that seem to embody the well-known and ever-loved rock veterans. They’re sure to be just as sought-after for many years to come, so long as they don’t leave us hanging once again.
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I am Sylvie an 18 year old music enthusiast from the midlands - with a heart for writing and adventure. Currently I am a budding music journalist who is studying for a degree in music journalism at the University of Chester.
