By DJ Astrocreep and Jase Walker
A venture back to Manchester for my first gig for the year sees me take in Metric – a band I first found 18 years ago and have been wanting to see ever since – quite the way to open the year’s account! Even despite train strikes affecting my return journey, it should prove to be one to remember! (DJ)
Lo Moon makes a very quiet walk on stage, with a brief “y’alright?” And that’s basically it, they’re off. They sound very post-rock to start and atmospheric with accompanying soft lighting, not much strobing or fast paced movement. The harmonized vocals are fantastic in parts and their bass player and drummer frequently switch to sample and keys in order to flesh out certain bits so it seems that there isn’t actually much played in backing tracks, it’s all live! Barring some fans down at the front, it’s pretty clear that most of the audience doesn’t know them too well. In parts they seem to flit between a Stereophonics sound and The Cure, it’s got that sort of distinct big atmospheric sound and that indie oriented rock style, it’s a pretty good combination that’s actually quite captivating.
At one point they dip into an ethereal drone to back the singer on what essentially sounds as a vocal solo performance before bringing back in a sudden huge crescendo as it climbs towards the peak. Having never heard of these before other than the oddly heavy advertising presence they’ve had on my social media feeds for the last week, I’m actually quite surprised by the varied set they’ve put together that’s done a fantastic job of showing a myriad of facets of their sound and writing, very bloody interesting to say the least. Despite the lack of existing fans of Lo Moon, they’ve done a pretty solid job of winning over the audience by the end of it by the sounds of the crowd reaction which is probably the best outcome they could aim for. Really interesting act on the whole and a real chilled set. (JW)
As for Metric, well damn, if they haven’t been worth the wait! Even starting with the full 10 minute version of the epic ‘Doom Scroller’, they are on fire from the off. Frontwoman Emily Haines is an absolute dynamo, never stopping throughout the set with an energy that belies the at times chilled nature of the music. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of acknowledgement of the crowd from Haines until we get to the middle of the main set acoustic tracks, though it definitely escalates as they work through the impressive 19 song set, culminating in a monologue from Haines just prior to the end of set closer ‘Breathing Underwater’.
The set is well arranged, though the lulls of the two acoustic tracks are almost a touch jarring, albeit a very welcome addition to the set. There is a small set of people towards the front and centre that seem to get into it quite early with bouncing and full on pogoing at times, but a lot of the audience seem a bit less eager to be too vocal, except for between songs where the love is very evident. This is actually a real shame, as I personally feel the band deserve more back for what is a sumptuous performance.
Latest album ‘Formentera’ covers roughly a third of the set, while ‘Fantasies’ provides another good chunk of the setlist, showing a good nod towards both their newer material and classic era Metric. The mix between electronica and balls out rock is worked well and seems to garner more enthusiasm as the fans get into some better known territory with ‘Gold Guns Girls’, only the second track in the set, proving a much more up-tempo release for the fans after the slow ending to ‘Doom Scroller’.
While big breakthrough tracks ‘Monster Hospital’ – the song that introduced me to the band back in 2005 – and ‘Black Sheep’ are both in the four song encore, there is a genuine beauty and passion throughout, despite an at times strangely subdued reaction from the audience during songs. By the time we reach ‘Twilight Galaxy’ and ‘Combat Baby’, the two song acoustic midpoint, there is a definite pick up of energy from the audience, with more people seeming to full comfortable dancing side to side through the tracks – something that must have been a welcome sight to see! It’s a fantastic show, one I have had to wait way too long for and one I hope can be repeated in the near future! (DJ)
- Thanks to Metric and MBC PR for facilitating access to this show.
- PHOTO CREDIT: Photos by DJ Astrocreep.
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