GIG NUMBER SEVENTY-FOUR
Who
Naturally there was a video screen and I was also surprised to see that, judging by the position of speakers, there seemed to be quadraphonic sound (for what it's worth down the front). A paper plate with "UFO" written on it was being "flown" in front of the camera which showed a view of the records being spun by the DJ and for once I wasn't alone tonight - meeting up with a guy I'd seen at the Preston show, a mate from work and also finally getting another mate along to perform the Guaranteed Instant SFA Fan Conversion Ceremony! The support band had the rather cool name El Goodo and my immediate impression was that this was bog-standard indie music. Their lead singer looked like Tommy from Space, they had some guy filming their show and the crowd seemed to be moderately enjoying it. But there was something funny happening: usually when I see a bland indie support I sportingly try and get into it but as the songs go on and their lack of variety becomes evident I get bored until by the end I want to get up onstage and give them a slap. However with El Goodo every song seemed to be better than the last. This reached the climax with a song that sounded like it was a great lost Beach Boys number which was just stunning, and I'd love to know if they wrote that themselves as it seemed just too good. There was also a tune with seemingly the only line being "yeah yeah yeah" but this made me smile so no complaints. Despite never delving into anything too adventurous, El Goodo had somehow won me over by the end!
And now onto SFA. I hope I give everyone a "feel" for the show here but I only got round to writing this review three months after the event so my first hand memories are limited. One thing that I will NEVER EVER forget is their entrance, which will go down as the best non-Flaming Lips introduction I've ever seen! The Rocky theme melding into the A-Team was the triumphant choice (possibly more memorable than Carmina Burana even!) as the lights dimmed and the screen was put to its best use with a video of the band in their lovely glow-in-the-dark blue hoodies making their way to the venue in a golf buggy! After whipping us into a frenzy a screen came down stage-right revealing the band hanging on for dear life to the aforementioned buggy as it drove onstage - WOW!! No matter what happened next, I'd have a defining SFA memory! The show started on an understandable Love Kraft theme with Zoom! which was nice but seemed a bit quieter than it should. As mighty as this song is, it didn't quite seem to ignite, perhaps as the band were having to concentrate too hard on playing it correctly. My album favourite Atomik Lust was next up and as before it didn't quite seem to take off. Daf took over the vocals and the loud bits and ending were all slightly extended as you'd like them to be live but a spark was missing. It was Bunf's turn next with The Horn and now I was thinking that this was one tune too many from the new album and it was time to play a golden oldie. Thus I was even more disappointed to hear Ohio Heat next which to me is just a nice little tune that doesn't go anywhere - definitely not an album favourite.
Hello Sunshine provided a welcome single and a slight recovery but I would have preferred to hear something more up-tempo. At this point I was thinking it was nice enough but they were stretching out the quiet segment for far too long. Therefore the nadir of my night was unarguably Run! Christian, Run! I have never got the appeal of this one, and its perpetual hogging of ten minutes of crucial set time that could be put to much better use has reduced it to my least favourite SFA track by a long way. The band like it and it seems a lot of the crowd do as well but I still don't get it and doubt I ever will. Gruff then introduced a "special song" and launched into Frequency. As nice as this one felt, it was yet another slow one and I was really feeling guilty at dragging someone along absolutely guaranteeing them this show would be amazing and thinking that I'd have to be arguing the greatness of SFA on past glories only after this. Cloudberries, another "special song" in "three parts" was also particularly unwelcome. But maybe it was just me - a lot of the crowd seemed to be quite happy with how things where going.
Lazer Beam was a vast improvement and, although being guilty of being yet another tune from Love Kraft and being far from the best single they could have played, I definitely sensed a collective sigh of relief from the audience and I finally started to enjoy myself. A VERY welcome return to service was then made by the wonderful Receptacle For The Respectable, introduced by Gruff as a five part song (not sure where the fifth bit came from!). Gruff enjoyed crisps instead of celery and the crowd finally got going with the moshing, including some idiot elbowing me in the ribs, whilst I was head banging by the end in time to the video. At the end Gruff, Bunf and Guto held their guitars in the air triumphantly before rubbing them together!! This was quite possibly the highlight of my night and I felt like the guys were enjoying themselves more now as well. The stage was then left empty for a bit and the Juxtapozed With U box came out before the band returned (still in their glowing hoodies, as they were for the whole show) as Slow Life cranked up. Now this tune was being used as a second opener and I'd never enjoyed it so much before. As you'd expect Gruff donned his Power Rangers helmet and the increase in excitement from everyone was quite tangible.
Juxtapozed With U always seems to be in the set and no complaints from me here as I always enjoy it, especially when Gruff made some exploding noises in a Killa Kela stylee at the end. Something 4 The Weekend allowed room for some frantic moshing and (Drawing) Rings Around The World kept up the absolutely fantastic run of singles and got me head banging again as I'd ran out of space to jump in. Do Or Die was next before Ice Hockey Hair. Gruff then advised us they would be ending with "a couple of James Blunt numbers" before flashing the pic of everyone's favourite chicken then launching into the glorious Calimero. I let out a yell of excitement and had my head pounded by this glorious tune which should never have been dropped from the show last time round before singing like a fool to the inevitable "I feel like chicken tonight" rock out. No surprises whatsoever with the ending and it was a particularly satisfying version of The Man Don't Give A Fuck mixed at the end with some lovely unknown song (same one as in Preston) that provided high quality techno rather than just entertaining noise as it used to be. It got the crowd going more than ever and, just to keep us doubly occupied, a cheesy end credits sequence for the show featuring the band and crew rolled (whoops - I discovered here that their roadie guy wasn't Martin Carr after all!) before a quick video tribute to the sights of Manchester.
The guys returned to the stage in the golf buggy then left, leaving us with a shot of them being locked in the back of their lorry with the buggy to be driven to the next show! After SFA left I very frustratingly wasted my time yet again trying to get my hands on a setlist and watched literally everyone except me get one. This meant I missed the jolly rave-up that was happening behind me as those who hadn't left the second the lights had gone up were dancing gleefully to the music that I'd barely noticed still hadn't finished!! I must also "name" and shame some dickhead of a bouncer who gave a particularly cruel push to a fan who was perching on the barrier waiting for a setlist. I just wish I'd reported him for assault now as I just hate these despicable people whose only job seems to be to incite violence and ruin people's nights. Kill all bouncers!! Upon getting out I bought myself a Love Kraft T-shirt outside (these cheap ones usually outlast the official ones anyway) and I realised upon getting home that I'd got some quite severe wounds to my legs which had been pounded against the barrier.
On reflection my opinion of this show was mixed. The level of performance was definitely higher than in Preston. Colonise The Moon was the only tune that had been dropped from before and it seems to say something that my two favourite tunes - Receptacle For The Respectable and Calimero - hadn't been played in Preston. However, the quiet bit at the start had really left a bad taste in my mouth, especially Run! Christian, Run!, and unfortunately the bad feeling I had towards that song was stronger than the good feeling I had towards nearly everything else that was played. I think I understand the bands strategy of playing the new stuff and then trying to keep us happy with a volley of incredible tunes at the end (and it was amazing - the best run of songs I've heard from them since the wonder shows of 1999!) but they just took it too far. Mixing it up a bit at the outset, dropping numbers like Run! Christian, Run!, Cloudberries, The Horn and Ohio Heat then finding room for Play it Cool, The International Language Of Screaming, Hermann ©'s Pauline, Northern Lites, God! Show Me Magic and Golden Retriever would have made this show a quite definitive SFA set. It always seems to be the same few classic songs which never get played any more whereas there are always a few unwelcome numbers in there at any one time! However, my mate had been converted despite the bad points (as is always the case, I came out being the critical one!) and I was prepared to give the band a chance to improve in Liverpool, with my fingers crossed that they would mix things up a bit!
Mark: 8.5/10
Super Furry Animals
Support
El Goodo
Where
Manchester Academy
When
15th September 2005
Price
£16.00
Who with
Matt, Jon
Position
At the front, in the middle!
Comments
After a stonking three months off the gigging circuit, I got back into the fold with yet another personal first - seeing a band twice on one tour. This was motivated partly by convenience as the subsequent Liverpool show was on a weekend (and what better thing is there to do on a Friday night than witness our finest band?) but I was also curious to see how different the shows would be. Although Love Kraft had been out for a few weeks I was still a bit unsure about it. A few tracks like the glorious Atomik Lust and Zoom! had hit me but the rest was confusing me. I knew right off it was good, but I didn't fully get my head round the album and spot my favourite tracks until after these shows. On the night I gave a few of their records a run through, had a couple of drinks in the pub opposite and arrived fairly early (albeit after the doors had opened which is later than I usually am for the SFA), resisting the urge to get an expensive T-shirt and going straight for my front position, at long last in front of Gruff! A little observation here - just how manky is the stage at the Academy? It just looks a horrible mass of dirt and masking tape!
Setlist
Zoom!
Atomik Lust
The Horn
Ohio Heat
Hello Sunshine
Run! Christian, Run!
Cloudberries
Frequency
Lazer Beam
Receptacle For The Respectable
Slow Life
Juxtapozed With U
Something 4 The Weekend
(Drawing) Rings Around The World
Do Or Die
Ice Hockey Hair
Calimero
The Man Don't Give A Fuck
