By DJ Astrocreep
Another day, another jaunt across to Manchester, this time to a new (for me) venue, as a first visit to New Century Hall opens up the chance to see Beak> headline, having only previously seen them in support slots. A quick train ride and short cab journey later, I arrive at the venue just as the first act is taking to the stage.
Litronix, our support for the evening, is a complete unknown to me prior to his set. Combining loops, synths, guitars and more as a one-man act, he creates – in his own words – futuristic pop songs. The visual effect from seeing someone robot dancing while playing guitar, having already set up various loops is a curious one, while the music itself is genuinely something different. It’s easy to tell why Beak> themselves personally invited Kevin Litrow – the man behind Litronix – along for their European tour, based on his performance this evening. Using a mix of both samples and live performance for vocals, the sounds go between noise, industrial, synth rock and future pop, a mix that works much better live than it may seem in words.
Beak> take to the stage to zero fan fare – the lights drop and they immediately wander on, taking up their respective positions. The room is busy – not sold out, but people have space to move and dance, which feels nice. While the band are not really a big sing along band, the crowd are clearly very up for the show, as heads nod and feet tap all around the room. There are loud roars of approval in the few small gaps we do get, which are a good sign of just how appreciative and attentive the audience are being throughout the set.
The band are on great form, laughing and joking among each other with a sense of humour that feels quite Northern in its delivery. The music is as hypnotic and dystopian sounding as ever, that slightly off kilter manner in the same way that the likes of the later ‘Bioshock’ game portrays… until you get past the veneer into the mud of the real feel of the songs. We even get little excerpts of ‘Fools Gold’ and ‘Johnny B Goode’ as they work through their early set, before getting on to the greatest hits part of their set.
With the Bristol group playing latest album >>>> in its entirety, we know what we’re getting for half the set and it’s where they start from. It’s great to hear the likes of ‘RSI’ and ‘Brean Down’ in addition, making for a great all around set. The only groans of the night are when they announce a mere two songs left of the set, a sure sign of just how good the performance has been. A great night of live music.
- All content © Über Rock. Not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of Über Rock.