THE AMAZONS TAKE OVER ALBERT HALL - A Review

Words: Corey Bissell

Photography: Corey Bissell

The Amazons at the Albert Hall

The Amazons graced Manchester once more as part of their 21st Century Fiction tour, off the back of the Reading rock bands fourth album release earlier this year. The tour has seen then box off Bristol, Southampton and Newcastle, before returning to Manchester at the Albert Hall, and quite frankly taking the roof off the place. They were accompanied by both Balancing Act and Overpass, in what made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening of indie rock in one of the city’s most beautiful venues.

Balancing Act kicked off the night with what can only be described as a brilliant example of 'Support acting'. The energy was brought in abundance particularly by front man Kai Roberts. Their set was opened with 'Before I shoot' which really encapsulated that adrenaline they brought into their set and set the tone for the evening. Another thing that deserves massive plaudits is the backing vocals by David Carpenter, which remained pitch perfect throughout the set.

They were then followed by Overpass, who I still haven't stopped listening to since the end of the gig. Overpass are four-piece indie-alternative band from Birmingham, consisting off vocalist/guitarist Max Newbold, bassist Indie Armstrong, guitarist Elliot Rawlings and drummer Jake Bishop, and they really turned up in Manchester.

They began their set with 'Slow' which was a solid introduction to a crowd who they had absolutely under their spell. Max Newbold nailed the vocals, with a nice backing from Indie Armstrong, which gives a nice alteration to the recorded version of the song, while maintaining a tight connection between the studio version and the live edition of the song.

'Like no other' came next, which really brought back the energy, which was created earlier in the evening, again with the band keeping themselves impressively like how the song sounds in the recorded version. My personal highlight of their set came with '3AM' a song which really is engraved with the makings of classic and excellent indie music, with a catchy chorus and well-crafted bridges being backed by an infectiously good guitar track, which was executed to a tee by Elliot Rawlings.

Overpass truly made a big fan of myself, and I can’t wait to see where they go from here after being in such a good place to move forwards from.

Then it was time for the headliner to take the stage, and my word did Amazons do that. A set which went right down to the wire, after the crowd were repeatedly reminded by front Matt Thomson that the band were going to "Go until they throw us out".

'Joe Bought a gun' is what has been chosen to be the opener for the tour, which for a band who have four albums must be incredibly hard to choose, however i for one think the selection is apt. A really good tension builder, keeping the crowd on tenterhooks following their arrival on stage, and a song that build and builds until Chris Alderton had his say on lead guitar, and from that moment on the energy in the building somehow escalated even more.

'Ready for something' 'In my mind' 'My blood' and '25' followed, with each spellbinding solo on Alderton's guitar making the crowd go into raptures, it must be said that on an individual level his performance was like something I have never seen before from somebody who doesn't front the band directly. 'Living a lie' came next and was one of my personal favourite songs of the night, especially from the new tour-titled album '21st Century fiction' with Ella Mcrobb providing one of the best examples of both backing vocals and guest vocals I have witnessed, as well as providing an extra edge in a dead pan yet playful stage presence.

'Georgia' was another highlight, with the song from the bands second album really landing with myself, with a hook that has been playing in my head since i left Albert Hall, following was 'Go all the way', which Thomson and Mcrobb sang back to back with excellence, again captivating the crowd in a song with a lot of tension and recapturing the room in a moment of silent awe for a lot in attendance.

One moment that left me speechless was the drum solo in 'Mother' performed by touring drummer George Le Page, who gave every bit of energy he had in that moment to providing a truly impressive moment, in a role which has limited time in the spotlight. He made sure to claim his rightfully earned ovation, standing up to soak in the moment before finishing off his solo and bringing the rest of the band back into time.

The regular set was finished off with 'Wake me up' before the band came back out to round up the night with an encore of 'Junk food forever' 'Stay with me' 'Ultraviolet' and 'Black Magic' and i have to be honest in that I don't think I have ever been in a crowd as energetic towards the latter stages of a gig. Again, Chris Alderton could have taken over a nation with the amount of control he had over the room with each pluck of a string. The entire of the ground floor of Albert Hall were sent into a frenzy with each chorus, each solo and the energy in the room hit one of the highest Albert Hall has likely seen.

Overall, The Amazons, Overpass and Balancing Act took over Albert Hall with perfection to create a night of music that many won’t forget for a long time, in a gig which i came away feeling both lucky to have been a part of, as well as lucky to have seen three bands who were all at the top of their game on the night.

As for the Amazons, they will continue their tour, with the two supporting acts following them on the road on select dates, but what the future holds for all three bands, and the up-and-coming Overpass and Balancing act, is very exciting.