7am - The Roadhouse
 | | The Longcut at the Roadhouse (A Stubbs) |
The Longcut 鈥 Alex McCann
The Longcut get full marks for not only playing at stupid o'clock, but also having booked a late night DJ set the night before at Club Save Yourself to mark the launch of their A Quiet Life EP. Now that the novelty of the drumming singer boy Stuart Oglivie has worn off, it's time to let the tunes do the talking. The elements of this post-punk post-rock disco music are far from original - equal parts Fugazi, Mogwai and Joy Division - but the likes of Transition manage to wake up the crowd in time for the bar opening at 9am.
 | | I Am Kloot at the Roadhouse (A Stubbs) |
I Am Kloot 鈥 Alex McCann
I Am Kloot's Johnny Bramwell's been doing his bit for European relations over the past week. Two days ago he got back from a promotional tour and a few hours after today's show, he'll be back in Paris for a series of TV interviews. The former Mr Dangerously notes with a wry smile that this is "f***ing stupid" before launching into a warm acoustic glow with a biting bitter lyrical underside. IAK gigs have always been a celebration of Mancunia where friends and family come together, and as older tracks such as To You, Morning Rain and Twist mix with the new material from Gods And Monsters, this morning proves no different. 11.30am 鈥 The Ritz
 | | Long-View at the Ritz (A Stubbs) |
Long-View 鈥 Chris Long
Long-View have changed their hair, hyphened their name and beefed up their sound since they鈥檝e attracted attention from America, and it鈥檚 all for the good. A capacity crowd at the Ritz was treated to a weighty supporting set from the four piece who gave their all despite the hour. That said, Rob McVey鈥檚 grinning fumbled 鈥済ood night鈥 sorry, good afternoon鈥 showed they are still the band we fell in love with a few years ago.
 | | Doves at the Ritz (A Stubbs) |
Doves 鈥 Chris Long
Fresh off the plane from America and in the presence of Jimi鈥檚 Nana and a very sweaty crowd, Doves produced the sort of energy that has made them one of the biggest draws in the country. Having dispensed with a soundcheck because of the early start, they were big drums, big bass and big fun, with storming versions of Pounding, Black and White Town and There Goes The Fear, and a rendition of the Knight Rider theme. So good, you almost felt it was time to go home, not for lunch! 2.30pm 鈥 Blueprint Studios
 | | Stephen Fretwell at Blueprint (G Camera) |
Stephen Fretwell 鈥 Alex McCann
I first witnessed Fretwell when he was supported by a little known Scouse band, The Stands in March 2003. Since that moment, management changes and irregular gigs led many to think that Fretwell had failed to seize the moment, but today it's still his early songs that stand out, with Emily, New York and Run being modern Manc classics. An attempted and aborted cover of Joni Mitchell's Riding On A White Swan only added to the charm.
 | | Elbow at Blueprint (G Camera) |
Elbow 鈥 Alex McCann
It's hard to imagine where it all went right, but Elbow have changed from morose bedsit dwelling student favourites to one of the best live acts in the city. There's always been a strange relationship between Elbow as people and the music they make, but slowly and surely the music has taken an uplifting mood shift as if the new dawn has brought the sun up. New tracks Buddha With Mace, My Very Best and Leaders of the Free World are the best they've done and baby Dylan (Jupp's son) and the impending fatherhood of Mark and Craig seem to have given the band a new found spirit. 6pm 鈥 Academy 2
 | | Little Flames at Academy 2 (A Stubbs) |
The Little Flames 鈥 Charlotte Riches
It is always interesting to see a female fronting a rock-pop outfit, especially if like Little Flames lead singer Eva Peterson, she defies the peroxide blond hair and ripped clothes convention. Eva sings as cool as she looks, with a raw, sassy voice which cut through the chaos of the guitar sound which swelled around her. The music was manic and discordant at times, almost as if the intense faced musicians were making up their own soundtracks as they went along, but thankfully Eva鈥檚 effortless vocals made it seem like it was all part of some funky master plan.
 | | The Coral at Academy 2 (A Stubbs) |
The Coral 鈥 Charlotte Riches
In the intimate space, it was hard to fight the infectious excitement as The Coral took to the stage with the uplifting She Sings the Mourning. What followed was a happy succession of old and new material, delivered with such joy and gusto by frontman James Skelly that it was hard to believe he had calmed down from the euphoria of the Liverpool win. The extraordinary marriage of musical influences which swung from folk, gypsy, rock and blues to the shamelessly poppy In the Morning made for an extremely pleasing toe tapping experience. 8.30pm 鈥 The Apollo
 | | The Infadels at the Apollo (A Stubbs) |
The Infadels 鈥 Helen McGrath
Not easy to categorise - they are a kind of rocky-punky-dance group. Energetic and excited, the expectant crowd were up for it, looking forward to the Chemical Brothers, but also not really wanting the Infadels to end. Whoever decided to put them on before the Chems deserves a gold star, as they gelled together surprisingly well. With influences as varied as the Scissor Sisters to Primal Scream, they pretty much had something for everyone. There were tunes to wriggle around to and I was more than happy to wriggle along, but I wouldn't say they bowled me over.听听听
 | | Chemical Brothers at Apollo (A Stubbs) |
The Chemical Brothers 鈥 Helen McGrath
Big, bright, busy, and loud. You think you know what to expect from a Chems gig, but they exceed that expectation. Imagine the unbelievably excited crowd, the ultimate elation at dancing like nobody is watching to tunes like Hey Boy, Hey Girl, and Galvanise. It鈥檚 been said that dance music is getting dull 鈥 but with these guys still at the forefront, how can it? Block Rockin鈥 Beats went down a storm - The Chems really know how to build up a crowd before gently easing them down again, including an engaging visual display on stage alongside the lasers, changing from calm, swirling dancers to scary freaky clown faces. They are still on a roll, and they don鈥檛 look like they will stop. I hope not. 11.30pm 鈥 Academy 1
 | | The Dead 60's at Academy 1 (G Camera) |
The Dead 60鈥檚 鈥 Charlotte Riches
Bursting in to their first songs with an energy that remains for the entire set, punk and dub fusion band The Dead 60鈥檚 are clearly out to be noticed. Frontman Matt McManaman is a natural on stage, strutting up and down with all the confidence of a seasoned performer. The songs are loud and brash with more than a hint of The Clash about them, although the lyrics are often lost in the frenetic music or forgotten before the next song follows quickly on the heels of the last. Punky and edgy, The Dead 60鈥檚 are certainly a band to watch and just another example of the strength and vibrancy of the outstanding Liverpool music scene.
 | | Ian Brown at Academy 1 (A Stubbs) |
Ian Brown 鈥 Charlotte Riches
I Wanna Be Adored was a fitting song to begin a set to a crowd packed with fans who radiated Ian Brown worship. It also unapologetically set the tone for the many Roses tracks to follow. Playing purely to the crowd, Ian Brown delivered, in his own unique style, the oldies his fans were there to hear. While his solo material received a polite yet reserved reception, it was the Roses classics Waterfall and Sally Cinnamon which really got the crowd whipped into a frenzy of imitating swaggers and swinging arms. 2am 鈥 Big Hands What happened in the after-show at Big Hands is probably best left in the aftershow at Big Hands, but suffice to say, there was singing, dancing, Clint Boon DJing, breakfast and a handful of survivors that made it through to 7am鈥 hats off to them! |
