GIG NUMBER SIXTY-ONE
Who
We decided to hang around the bar, adopting a snobbish attitude to the "new fans" naturally, admiring the name banner for The Open onstage and getting a few pint down us as four-piece Thirteen Senses opened the show. By support standards, they were pretty good. They looked, sounded and felt as though they could genuinely be a big act. However, although their positive attributes made me feel they may have a bright future, I didn't enjoy this show that much. Their use of piano coupled with dull loud guitar made for a mixed set, excitement being highest for the piano-led opener and when the band swapped places towards the end. But for the most part I felt a bit bored although I'd be interested in seeing them again if they ever make good on the hints of potential that I clearly detected! The Open came onstage to a piece of music I've never heard and far more applause than ever before. They took their places and launched into Bring Me Down. The real question though is whether this was more or less effective because someone had managed to not plug in the mic! After a verse and chorus of playing along as if nothing was wrong, the diehard fans helped them out by singing the chorus as Steven took a step back and let us help out. Plus, the applause when someone finally got round to plugging him in was one of the biggest of the night! A powerful opener, which worked well due to the lack of rock star strop this memorable incident could had led to. System 0, Revolution 1: dignity left more than intact! Close My Eyes was next up and went down well, as the extent to which The Open had upped the ante became more apparent. Movement around the stage was far freer than ever before and the amount of rehearsal clearly showed. This set was perfectly played with no messing around!
As well as a far more rock 'n' roll star attitude being displayed by Steven, Reno had also loosened up and discovered that the middle of the stage could be his territory too. It's amazing what practice does to confidence, even though it looked like they were a bit nervous at times still. Drifting Away was a new song that sounded even more expansive than their other stuff whereas Forgotten was made to really rock out. But The Open had worked out very early on just how much they can do to expand and breathe life into their songs, and several tunes tonight were given a far more epic treatment. Just Want To Live was introduced with looks from the band as though we were supposed to register what it was but it seemed to take everyone a while and would had been a lighters aloft moment if we'd recognised it from the start! Never Enough sounded fantastic as usual, with the power of its introduction remaining a highlight of their set. No moshpit ever did get going but, since my shower was in fact out of action for the night and next morning thanks to builders, I'd decided that this would be something I'd have to avoid in advance! But the surprise possible high water mark was probably Can You Hear? This just sounded incredible and downright mighty and provided the kind of atmosphere that The Open could take over the world with! The band left the stage before shouts and cheers quickly dragged them back on for the final Elevation. Still not quite sure about this one, although the chorus is nice to sing, and everyone onstage seemed quite pleased by the reception they'd got, as it was certainly a whole new level to before. Would they get better? On the evidence of this night, anything was possible for The Open.
Mark: 7.5/10
The Open
Support
Thirteen Senses
Where
Manchester Hop And Grape
When
23th September 2004
Price
£7.00
Who with
Matt
Position
In the middle
Comments
Hot on the heels of They Might Be Giants I returned to the top floor of the Students Union for another quality night of music to help make up for my relatively quiet gigging year. And this time I had bought my own ticket in advance, although I'm sure I could have got a place on the guest list if I'd been cheeky enough to ask! This was now the fourth time I'd seen The Open - putting them alongside such greats as Suede and The Flaming Lips - but The Open are the only band who had unarguably got better each time I'd seen them. Maybe it's because I knew them before they'd even recorded their debut single so improvement is almost a foregone conclusion, but I'd thought they were good right from the first show, and I was now really starting to think of them as one of "my" bands rather than that someone I've got into by association! As usual getting other people along proved difficult (obviously their loss, as The Open were on an upwards trajectory!) but me and Matt were still surprised to see the size and enthusiasm of the crowd even at 8pm. Although most were clearly the casual punter, hardcore fans were already emerging and the debut album seemed to have taken their popularity onto a new level. The band were also hanging around downstairs and at the back of the venue but, acknowledging their new found fame and that I hadn't been explicitly invited this time, we were content to leave them alone and get upstairs for the show. I seemed to talk to Reno less each time now he's a "big rock star", but lots of clear glances from the stage (possibly from guitarist Jon too) and a very nice txt afterwards showed he hasn't forgotten his roots!
Setlist
Bring Me Down
Close My Eyes
Drifting Away
Forgotten
Just Want To Live
Never Enough
Can You Hear?
Elevation
