Young Fathers
-THE RITZ, MANCHESTER-
I know quite a few different people heading to the Young Fathers gig, and so catch up with a beer beforehand.
One of the girls in our group is actually friends with the guys, and she sums up the band pretty well. She says that they started off really R&B, and then went quite hip-hop, but now they’re just niche and fit into their own category. Of course, I didn’t know the lads growing up, but I can definitely vouch for the niche comment.
Their much awaited new album Cocoa Sugar was released earlier this month, and I’m pretty excited to hear it live in the flesh.
The gig isn’t sold out tonight, but it’s busy none the less, and we arrive just in time for them to start. As soon as they come on stage they have presence as if they were born to be there. The backdrop is completely plain, with different colours lighting it up, a set up that works really well with their silhouettes. They’ve got a style about them which just works. One of them has a waistcoat on, with nothing underneath, and another is wearing a hat just like the one on the album cover, and they totally pull it off.
‘Wow’ from their latest album comes on, and it’s captivating. Such a good song to hear live, everyone is singing along.
Alloysious (really wanted to mention his name, what a name!) moves from the front mic to the back on the drums, flitting between the two, full of energy. They are all jumping up and down together, and you can feel the exertion bouncing off the stage, into the crowd.
They casually slip in their latest single ‘In My View’ as smooth as the song itself. Most bands would introduce their latest single, to give the crowd the heads up it’s on, but not these lot, they are too cool for that.
At the end, it’s no encores for them, they don’t follow the unspoken rules. They play ‘Shame’ and its a great end to a very energetic gig.
If you’ve not already, check out their new album, it’s a colourful rainbow of sounds.
Young Fathers: Official | Facebook | Twitter
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.
