Manchester Bar Academy 18 June 2007

I used to watch a TV show called Blind Date and, as a result, decided then that I would never risk meeting anybody without prior, personal knowledge… But even I will admit that the possibility exists that a pair can hit it off in the first moments of such an encounter. Where music is concerned I always listen before I decide to see, and if there is no recording to shove into the CD player, there’s now numerous Internet sites where samples (and videos) can be accessed. However, with limited time on my hands and late confirmation that a pass would be on the door, I ventured over to Manchester to see a band I had not previously heard or seen. Mute Math hails from the USA and that’s about the limit of my knowledge. On arriving at Manchester University’s subterranean Bar Academy, I felt as though I was the only one out of the information loop. I found a long line of students waiting impatiently for the doors to open to see the band perform, and immediately felt that my long hike to Manchester may not have been in vain.

Supporting Mute Math was another unknown band called Goldspot, and it wasn’t long before this five-piece revealed themselves for the first time to me and everybody else. Lead man Siddhartha ‘Sid’ Khosla (seriously) looked like a Bollywood lead player and I thought immediately that this must be a Brit band. Wrong! ’Sid’s’ soft American accent gave the game away; this indie pop band was from Los Angeles where ’Sid’s’ family had moved to many moons ago. Such were the numerous varied musical influences and sounds that I found it impossible to box off these guys, but I’ll try. Imagine a mix of The Smiths, Aztec Camera, REM, and the Coldplay clones. Imagine fine melodies, accessibility, adult pop laced with high emotion. And one thing’s for sure, and that is this band led by a decent, consumer-friendly vocalist and backed by skilled instrumentalists entertained royally for around 30 minutes. And that’s what really counts. I suggest you check them out on MySpace because I reckon we could be hearing a lot more of this band over the next 12 months.

An impressive, brief instrumental song called ‘Collapse’ opened Mute Math’s performance and I was still none the wiser, but vaguely impressed. Then lead man Paul Meany opened his innings with a passionate ‘Topical’ and my juices began to really stir. Over the other side of the stage drummer, Darren King, had his phones gaffer-taped to his head and was providing the percussive rhythm that underpinned the band’s highly ambitious music. ‘Chaos’ I later discovered is the lead song from the band’s album and was indeed something special. Meany, wearing a mobile electronic keyboard, sounded like Sting on heat with innate passion oozing out of every sweating pore. The song was typical of the night’s menu; melodic, rhythmic, with ethereal guitars and jagged drums laced with darting electronic sounds.

‘Typical’ is also from the album and by the time it’s played the capacity audience and band had formed one roaring, unified community. If you’ve ever seen Midlake perform these guys are very similar; thoughtful, passionate, and inextricably entwined with each other. ‘Voice’ and ‘Plan B’ lead on to the epic ‘Stare At The Sun’ with Meany this time tearing the heart out of the Rhodes piano. At one point in the show, every band member is hammering out percussive notes from whatever is near by and handy, including Roy Mitchell the bass player who struck a spare drum. The rocky soundscapes produced by the band were diverse and original, with subtlety sitting comfortably alongside extravagance. The night ended on the haunting and very beautiful ‘You Are Mine’ and signalled the point at which the band had completed a heroic, distinctive and entertaining musical journey, leaving us all totally captivated and exhausted.

I would dearly love to see the band again in a larger arena which I think would more than suit the band’s expansive sound. Watch out for these guys and the album which I believe may soon be released here. This was a fabulous night and a fascinating band.

Set List

Collapse

Typical

Chaos

Voice

Plan B

Stare At The Sun

Obsolete

Control

Noticed

Break The Same

Reset

Your Are Mine