www.planetnotion.com

The Courteeners w/s from Lead Balloons

18/01/2008

The Courteeners plus Lead Balloons @ Academy, Manchester Ah… The Courteeners: Live! Proof if proof need be that Manchester has firmly brandished its sword and sliced Sheffield from its crown as the new music capital of the UK. Lead Balloons were the first band to perform from a city still in mourning over Vera Duckworth’s passing to the great bingo hall in the sky, and went some way to cheering the Mancunian masses of their loss. The four-piece support act grew out of singer/song writer Pierre Hall’s ability to pen expanding, layered pop songs, far too big for one lowly soldier to carry-out alone. Attention is fixed on the red headbands, sported by two of the band members, and the songs that build around the elastic and striking conjoined vocals of Hall and Craig Marchington. The latter, low key character, manages to produce bounding bass-lines that add versatility and vim to proceedings. At times they conjure an impact akin to The Proclaimers, singing into a megaphone, and backed by the haunting-beat of Joy Division. Forthcoming debut single, ‘Somethin’ You Say’ draws out Hall’s subtler-song building; a hint of desperation unleashed through pleadingly delivered lyrics.  Percussionist, Scott Jackson, switches the pace and tempo with adroitness between songs, putting in the effort of a marathon runner wearing concrete shoes. An ever growing mass of new music-spotters emit a glowing range of enthusiastic responses upon Hall and Co’s stage exit. If this performance is anything to go by, watch this space. Swaggering into view, beer in hand, oozing the now-famed Madchester cockiness, The Courteeners take to the stage. Frontman, Liam Fray, assuredly acknowledges the crowd before firing off into the opener; help at hand in the dominating, shuddering percussion drills of Michael Campbell. Beer fills air; the bands energy matched blow to blow by the expectant and excitable crowd, appreciative that the band are living up to their boisterous, crowd cajoling live reputation. The cocky stomp of ‘Aftershow’ has each word sent back from the masses with relish; ‘classic’ written all over it with a thick-black marker. Giving a glimpse as to how their March-due debut album may take shape, The Courteeners mould together Jamie-T style vocal poetry, instrumental Stone Roses breaks, and droplets of The Smiths; especially in the lyrical snap and cocky self-assurance of frontman Fray. The yet unreleased album is already being penciled in for Mercury Prize glory; which goes some way to assessing how full-frontal the band are live. Current B-side ‘Slow Down’ represents the more adventurous nature of the new pretenders, with an essence of dub-funk about it. The exit of all band members but Fray and his guitar, brings the euphoria down to an intimate level, the mood of the masses drastically changing. The stunning ‘An Ex Is An Ex For A Reason’ is the smoothest vocal performance Fray puts in, and the frontman has an air of striking dignity about him whilst performing it. It doesn’t take the remainder of the band long to pick up the pace and energy on their return though; the crowd throbbing like a virgin’s cock in a brothel. The introductory snippet to previous single ‘Acrylic,’ a tune that introduced the lads to many in attendance tonight: “You’re just like plasticine, molded into a libertine dream,” brings out jigging spasms in all and sundry, summing up the mystique and punch that Fray and friends stand for. Given that the bulk of 2008 will be spent on the road, the commanding front man takes time to lay down a few ground rules. He berates an exuberant fan for pushing others; threatening to walk off stage if he continues in this disrespectful display. ‘What Took You So Long?’ provides the fiery finale and extends the onstage time to an hour. The Courteeners appear more than ready for the big year that lies ahead of them. The next big thing? Maybe… just maybe.  Words: Dave Adair