I Am Kloot : British Sea Power : Tim Burgess : Southern : The Travelling Band
November 21st saw I Am Kloot headline the first night of The Whisky Sessions, a new festival in Victoria Warehouse, a converted mill hard up against Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground. A music festival with whisky? A whisky festival with music? Either way sounds good.
Despite being a Manchester regular, it was my first time in this venue, and they’ve done good, it has to be said. Two indoor stages, easy access in between and yet no sound interference, I was impressed.
We got inside in time to recognise Tim Burgess‘ signature mop. He was playing a full band set, but in his own right, and it was clear that he was preaching to the converted. He was apparently suffering some sort of man-flu, and as he demonstrated, ‘sponsored’ for the night by Benylin. He was also chuffed enough to himself be taking photos off the stage on his phone.
We then nipped across and caught Southern, on the second stage. These are tipped by bloggers that I know and trust – sort of like “the blogger’s blogger”, and I can see why, they played an enjoyable set.
The big draw for me was British Sea Power, a band that deservedly enjoy cult status. I’ve got personal friends in the States (music nuts it has to be said) that will think nothing of flying to the UK just to catch a couple of gigs. Apparently they’d been out in a local park harvesting tree branches for the stage, and it was atmospherically right for their unhinged concoction of musical styles and visual imagery. As well as the expected big hits like ‘Carrion’ and ‘Remember Me’, the set included ‘Apologies to Insect Life’, a deranged post punk homage to Dostoevsky that rarely makes live appearances. BSP has famously loyal supporters and there were definitely plenty of them in the audience but tonight’s performance was sure to bring more new fans into the fold.
For a lot of people, a major reason to be there was taking place at the same time on the second stage, that being The Travelling Band. These guys don’t believe in stripping back for the road, do they? They played an involved set, and are clearly each of them individually stoked to be part of it.
Spending too long there meant that I only just caught local veterans I Am Kloot playing out the main stage. Sixteen years they’ve been together, and it sounded as pleasingly raw as I am sure it did in 1999. I have to admit they have never been on my radar before. Being as impressed as I was, I got talking to some of their particular faithful, and it seemed that in their opinion, and that of more casual observers, that the set tonight was one to write home about. I have to concur.
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