The Fugitive Motel

The Big Pink with We Fell To Earth and Former Bullies
Thursday October 22nd, 2009
Academy 3, Manchester

Wandering into Academy 3 early, it is a pleasure to see local stalwarts Former Bullies on the stage. Having been out of the limelight for a while, it is clear that the band retain the distinctive alt-rock sound that was such an attention-grabber a few years ago, despite numerous subsequent lineup changes. Nick Ainsworth’s amusing stage presence and vocals that smack of a less polished Neil Young, holding it all together as always.

Tour support We Fell To Earth are up to next, and may represent your author’s musical discovery of the year. Packing so much equipment onto the stage that it’s near impossible for the band to move, We Fell To Earth provide an irresistible combination of influences from across the decades. Powerful yet considered drumbeats, well used synthesizers and dual male/female vocals, the former crystal clear and precise, the latter soaring and beautiful, make this an attention grabbing performance that will take some beating.

The Big Pink manage to achieve this, and it’s a testament to how accomplished they have become in their live incarnation to date. The band fill the stage with smoke and blinding, flashing white neon light, providing a backdrop that keeps the large and enthusiastic audience transfixed as Furze, Cordell and co do their work.

Beginning with the wonderfully sleazy Too Young to Love, the band seem determined from the off to keep the audience enthralled by refusing to let the pace drop as each track from their excellent debut A Brief History of Love stretches into something beyond the record. Extended guitar parts blaze out from the stage, Cordell’s excellent electronic arrangements add texture and depth and the part-time rhythm section look and sounding the part in every way.

The Big Pink are jaw judderingly loud, totally intense and completely enthralling, both musically and in appearance. Furze’s animal magnetism, and the aforementioned simple yet devastatingly effective visuals form the latter part of this equation. The band round off a string of the best cuts from the record and depart – somewhat abruptly in the eyes of some. As a one album band though, it’s definitely the way to go. Of course, they have one of the year’s most anthemic singles in the locker to see us off with as the instantly recognisable Dominoes has the entire crowd off their feet.
Tonight’s performance could only be described as short, but extremely sweet.

words: Steve Welch

www.myspace.com/musicfromthebigpink
www.myspace.com/wefelltoearth
www.myspace.com/formerbullies

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