Wolfmother - The Academy Manchester 11th November 2006
Setlist: Dimension / Pyramid / Apple Tree / White Unicorn / Love Train /Woman / Mind’s Eye // Colossal / Joker And The Thief
I could, if I felt like it, just take the review I wrote of the Little Barrie bash at The Roadhouse, swap the names around and be done with it. But, I’m not that cheap. So, here we go: Wolfmother.
As I enter the twilight years of my existence on this Earth, certain things remind me how old I am getting:
I could, if I felt like it, just take the review I wrote of the Little Barrie bash at The Roadhouse, swap the names around and be done with it. But, I’m not that cheap. So, here we go: Wolfmother.
As I enter the twilight years of my existence on this Earth, certain things remind me how old I am getting:
- Everything pisses me off
- Schoolgirls didn’t dress like that I was at school
- I put punctuation in text messages
- New bands sound like bands from thirty-odd years ago
- Everything else pisses me off
Whilst some of the youngsters merely sample and regurgitate, others actually add something new and fresh to the mix, giving their sound an edge and lifting them head and shoulders above all of the others. For me, this means bands of the calibre of Kings of Leon, Yellowcard, The Kooks, Little Barrie and, yes, you guessed it, Wolfmother. To me, they just sound like they’re trying so much harder than all the rest.
It is hard not to compare Wolfmother and Little Barrie. Both bands are power trios, and both are aiming for a sound that belongs in the early ‘70s. What is more, both are bloodyfuckinggood! Fortunately, for me, I have managed to see each play live, within a couple of weeks of the other, in small venues, hence what you are now reading.
So, if Little Barrie raided their dads’ record collections and found an assortment of Jethro Tull, Fuzzy Duck, MayBlitz, and Robin Trower discs, then Wolfmother dads were more ‘ \m/ ’, if you get my drift, because they came across the Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath albums, And, boy, did they listen to them?! Not many, Uncle.
It is hard not to compare Wolfmother and Little Barrie. Both bands are power trios, and both are aiming for a sound that belongs in the early ‘70s. What is more, both are bloodyfuckinggood! Fortunately, for me, I have managed to see each play live, within a couple of weeks of the other, in small venues, hence what you are now reading.
So, if Little Barrie raided their dads’ record collections and found an assortment of Jethro Tull, Fuzzy Duck, MayBlitz, and Robin Trower discs, then Wolfmother dads were more ‘ \m/ ’, if you get my drift, because they came across the Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath albums, And, boy, did they listen to them?! Not many, Uncle.
Wolfmother’s first CD offering, cunningly titled Wolfmother, could quite easily have a 1971 date on it and you wouldn’t even think to question it. Not only is the musicianship on it in another league, the feel is spot on. Everything about it is just perfect. As debut recordings go, this is as good as you’ll ever get. The fact that Little Barrie also unloaded an equally brilliant first CD in the same year is almost too much for old folks like me to deal with.
That said, just because Wolfmother can whack off a dozen-or-so tracks in a studio, doesn’t mean that they can cut it live. It’s always a possibility, when you hear a CD that rocks your world, that you go along to a gig and they turn out to be nowhere near as good on stage as they are in your living room. Still, I was prepared to go with my gut instinct and risk disillusionment and despair. So, one Thursday evening in early November, Firstborn, Secondborn, and I mooched along to the Manchester Academy 1.
I didn’t bother with the first two acts, Fields and Maccabees (is that how you spell it?) Don’t care! Ed. Although, I did sashay into the venue for Forward Russia, who weren’t half bad. Following a rapid change around the three young men, who are Wolfmother, took to the stage. Immediately, any worries I may have harboured were blasted well out of the building. This was what live music is all about.
That said, just because Wolfmother can whack off a dozen-or-so tracks in a studio, doesn’t mean that they can cut it live. It’s always a possibility, when you hear a CD that rocks your world, that you go along to a gig and they turn out to be nowhere near as good on stage as they are in your living room. Still, I was prepared to go with my gut instinct and risk disillusionment and despair. So, one Thursday evening in early November, Firstborn, Secondborn, and I mooched along to the Manchester Academy 1.
I didn’t bother with the first two acts, Fields and Maccabees (is that how you spell it?) Don’t care! Ed. Although, I did sashay into the venue for Forward Russia, who weren’t half bad. Following a rapid change around the three young men, who are Wolfmother, took to the stage. Immediately, any worries I may have harboured were blasted well out of the building. This was what live music is all about.
If you’ve heard the CD ‘Wolfmother’, you will know that the songs are top notch (if you haven’t, well, take my word for it, they are). What I wasn’t prepared for was the sheer quality of musicianship from these guys. It wasn’t just basic playing that was taking place right in front of me; this was some really hot shit going down, the likes of which you would be impressed with if it was from a bunch of veterans who’ve been doing it for the last forty years. I was, I will freely admit, completely gobsmacked. I’m not easy to impress but Wolfmother blew me away, totally. A set filled with all original songs, played masterfully, with great feeling, skill, and conviction; what more can you ask for?
With any luck, most of the time, you will see a band live and say to yourself, “Yes, that was great. I really enjoyed that gig; it rocked.” But, you expected it to be good, that’s why you shelled-out wads of your hard-earned. All is as it should be.
Some of the time, you will go to a gig and come out saying, “God, they were shite!” You expected something that the band couldn’t deliver live. It can happen. Kiss, on the Lick It Up tour, par example. Total crap.
Occasionally, you will see something you hadn’t expected. I remember seeing ZZ Top on the Deguello tour and thinking how amazing they were; they looked like they’d just hopped off a boxcar, yet they were so damned cool and rocked like bastards. Last year, I saw Kings of Leon and their performance was so good, I came away feeling that they must be possessed by the souls of some gnarled old hillbillies; young kids can’t possibly play like that without the aid of The Devil. Wolfmother (and Little Barrie) punch so far above their weight that any of the established acts could quite easily find themselves playing the ‘Special Guest’ slot to them within the next couple of years; that is how good they are.
With any luck, most of the time, you will see a band live and say to yourself, “Yes, that was great. I really enjoyed that gig; it rocked.” But, you expected it to be good, that’s why you shelled-out wads of your hard-earned. All is as it should be.
Some of the time, you will go to a gig and come out saying, “God, they were shite!” You expected something that the band couldn’t deliver live. It can happen. Kiss, on the Lick It Up tour, par example. Total crap.
Occasionally, you will see something you hadn’t expected. I remember seeing ZZ Top on the Deguello tour and thinking how amazing they were; they looked like they’d just hopped off a boxcar, yet they were so damned cool and rocked like bastards. Last year, I saw Kings of Leon and their performance was so good, I came away feeling that they must be possessed by the souls of some gnarled old hillbillies; young kids can’t possibly play like that without the aid of The Devil. Wolfmother (and Little Barrie) punch so far above their weight that any of the established acts could quite easily find themselves playing the ‘Special Guest’ slot to them within the next couple of years; that is how good they are.
I’m overjoyed – well, as overjoyed as I get – at the fact that I saw them in a small intimate venue, because before too much longer, you will need binoculars to see them on the arena stage and, if you hate arenas as much as I do, that will be a generally unpleasant experience, which will furnish you with enough tales of woe to last you a good few months.
So, if you know about Wolfmother already, I am preaching to the converted and you already understand. If, however, you haven’t seen the light, do yourself a favour, surf along to wolfmother.com, buy the CD and then catch a gig in the New Year. You deserve to live a little before you slip on the old pine overcoat.
What? I changed some of it… So, I am that cheap, I admit it. What ya gonna do about it? Eh? Come on outside, now. I’ll take you down like a month old Christmas Tree, buddy.
It’s not actually that I am cheap. Well, not completely. The things I have written apply equally to both Wolfmother and Little Barrie. They really are that damn good, and the comparisons hold up. If you don’t believe me, check them out and prove me wrong. Before I finish, let me tell you a little story. Jeez, I sound like Max Bygraves. Oh shut up. Who is Max Bygraves? How old are you? You kids today know nothing about nothing…
So, if you know about Wolfmother already, I am preaching to the converted and you already understand. If, however, you haven’t seen the light, do yourself a favour, surf along to wolfmother.com, buy the CD and then catch a gig in the New Year. You deserve to live a little before you slip on the old pine overcoat.
What? I changed some of it… So, I am that cheap, I admit it. What ya gonna do about it? Eh? Come on outside, now. I’ll take you down like a month old Christmas Tree, buddy.
It’s not actually that I am cheap. Well, not completely. The things I have written apply equally to both Wolfmother and Little Barrie. They really are that damn good, and the comparisons hold up. If you don’t believe me, check them out and prove me wrong. Before I finish, let me tell you a little story. Jeez, I sound like Max Bygraves. Oh shut up. Who is Max Bygraves? How old are you? You kids today know nothing about nothing…
Anyhoo, at Wolfmother, I didn’t want to go in to see the first two and a half bands. So, I went a got myself a coffee from the Subway across the road and sat in the car. Around 9PM, a white minibus turned up and was admitted through the car park barrier. Nothing odd about that you may say. And that’s where you’d be wrong, little pig. The Academy car park actually is not part of the Academy, but belongs to the adjacent theatre. Consequently, the entrance is somewhat of a torturous affair to find and negotiate (and God help you if you don’t have two pound coins and a long reach!) Normally, the barrier fascists tell you to go away if you try to enter through there, unless you have the necessary badgers.
But, I thought nothing of it.
A few minutes later, I see these three dudes walking up past me out of the car park area, onto Oxford Road. One of the guys had a very nasty red shirt on, and another had a big ‘fro. Well, you see a lot of weird types in Manchester, it’s quite bohemian.
That looks like the guy out of Wolfmother , I mutter to myself. Then reason comes flooding back and I reason: Why would Wolfmother be walking along Oxford Road, just half an hour before they go on stage? Old fool! I tell myself. And the moral of this story, little ones?
If you see a skinny white guy with a huge afro walking down Oxford Road before a Wolfmother gig, assume he’s in Wolfmother!
Check out the photos!
Living together in colossal times…
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
13th November 2006
But, I thought nothing of it.
A few minutes later, I see these three dudes walking up past me out of the car park area, onto Oxford Road. One of the guys had a very nasty red shirt on, and another had a big ‘fro. Well, you see a lot of weird types in Manchester, it’s quite bohemian.
That looks like the guy out of Wolfmother , I mutter to myself. Then reason comes flooding back and I reason: Why would Wolfmother be walking along Oxford Road, just half an hour before they go on stage? Old fool! I tell myself. And the moral of this story, little ones?
If you see a skinny white guy with a huge afro walking down Oxford Road before a Wolfmother gig, assume he’s in Wolfmother!
Check out the photos!
Living together in colossal times…
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
13th November 2006
About the photos...
Actually, there's just two that I really like. I was too far away and being jostled by all these young whippersnappers... and they move around on stage a real lot. Bah! Humbug! |
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