WU LYF, Great Bridgewater St Tunnel, Manchester 16th July 2011...
(Click to enlarge)
I don't often go to gigs where the majority of people have already made up their mind about how it was going to be before a note had even been played. Due to their secretive nature and much hyped rise, Wu Lyf are a band who split people in two ways, attracting complete adoration or an almost unhealthily vehement hatred of them. Tonight there were people who were going to love it no matter what, and those willing it to fail badly.
Except for me. I didn’t really care either way, but I went open-minded.
There were plenty of unhappy people at the gig, even more so afterwards. Some of it was justified – the sound was pretty awful, the bar service too slow, but that shouldn't take anything away from the spectacle of the event. The Great Bridgewater Street tunnel closed off from traffic for a night is still an impressive and atmospheric venue for a gig. I was more irritated by the crepe-paper shoe wearing hipsters who'd come to the gig just to have a conversation or the sad old Madchester refugees come to gawp at what they had been told was a band who could be their “new Stone Roses”. C'mon people, you really don't have to worry about that who any more than you do about who the new X Factor winner or Britain's Next Top Model is.What I did come out of the gig feeling was a little sorry for Wu Lyf. I'm not entirely convinced by them, and I don’t think I can really learn to love Ellery Roberts growling-cum-yelping vocals. Yes, I know that is a bit of a ridiculous thing for someone who is such a big fan of The Fall to be saying, but there it is. And the people who were enjoying themselves were really going for it, almost worshipping what they were seeing & hearing. But having gone from playing a handful of intimate gigs to playing in front of 2,000 people it was probably inevitable that there would be a backlash, in that sad, childish, British way of ours**.Balls. I’ve written a serious post for a change*. Sorry.
* Yeah, I know, apart from the picture.** Don’t worry, I’ve not gone soft. I still really, really detest plenty of bands. Guess one and win a prize.***
Except for me. I didn’t really care either way, but I went open-minded.
There were plenty of unhappy people at the gig, even more so afterwards. Some of it was justified – the sound was pretty awful, the bar service too slow, but that shouldn't take anything away from the spectacle of the event. The Great Bridgewater Street tunnel closed off from traffic for a night is still an impressive and atmospheric venue for a gig. I was more irritated by the crepe-paper shoe wearing hipsters who'd come to the gig just to have a conversation or the sad old Madchester refugees come to gawp at what they had been told was a band who could be their “new Stone Roses”. C'mon people, you really don't have to worry about that who any more than you do about who the new X Factor winner or Britain's Next Top Model is.What I did come out of the gig feeling was a little sorry for Wu Lyf. I'm not entirely convinced by them, and I don’t think I can really learn to love Ellery Roberts growling-cum-yelping vocals. Yes, I know that is a bit of a ridiculous thing for someone who is such a big fan of The Fall to be saying, but there it is. And the people who were enjoying themselves were really going for it, almost worshipping what they were seeing & hearing. But having gone from playing a handful of intimate gigs to playing in front of 2,000 people it was probably inevitable that there would be a backlash, in that sad, childish, British way of ours**.Balls. I’ve written a serious post for a change*. Sorry.
* Yeah, I know, apart from the picture.** Don’t worry, I’ve not gone soft. I still really, really detest plenty of bands. Guess one and win a prize.***
*** Disclaimer: There are no prizes.
