Barriers to Right

  Forest Live 2025

  The Commoners Live

  Montreux British Dedication

  Joanna Shaw Taylor UK Tour

  Within Temptation Ukraine Film

  Gaza - Too Little, Too Late

  Robert Jon & The Wreck Live

  Mike Peters Remembered

  Elliot Minor Live Manchester

  The Swell Season LP & Tour

  Robert Jon & The Wreck ‘24 Tour

  EARTH DAY 2025

  Montreux Lineup 2025

  The Omen (Has Arrived)

  Divine Comedy Back in ‘25!

  DOWNLOAD 2025

  The Damn Truth UK Tour

  David Gray’s New LP & Tour

  On Freelance Photography

  Trump’s Winning Ways…?

  Martha Wainwright’s Debut LP

  Roger Waters on Amused To Death

  Trump, Drunk On Power

  Apartheid and Beyond…

  David Ford Live in ‘25

  My Favourite Records

  In Dreams…

  Coheed & Cambria New LP & Tour

  Young Knives New LP & UK Tour

  Elliot Minor Back In 2025

  Emily Barker LP & 2025 UK Tour

  Political Inhumanity

  Record Reviews

  Ani DiFranco 2025 Tour

  “Let Right Be Done”

  Farah Nabulsi Filmmaker

  G3 Reunion Live LP in ‘25

  IS THIS IT?

  Larkin Poe Live in ‘25 + New LP

  Laura Marling New Record Out Now

  Rise Against 2025 Tour

  Rag ‘N’ Bone Man New LP & Tour

  The Middle East Crisis

  Ezra Collective New LP & Tour

  Leif Vollebekk New, Great LP

  Stick In The Wheel Returns

  SO, WHAT’S CHANGED?

  “They’re American Planes…”

  Olive Tree By Olive Tree…

  Ani Di Franco In Conversation

  Gemma Hayes Returns

  Remembering Thomas Hoepker

  Joe Bonamassa Live in 25

  On Misinformation

  Joan As Police Woman LP

  Politics - Who To Trust?

  The 76 Year Catastrophe

  Black Country Communion Back!

  Within Temptation Live Recordings

  Beth Gibbons New Solo LP

  Politics Is Failing

  Ani DiFranco New LP

  Pink Floyd’s Animals Remix

  SHIT FLOATS

  Seasick Steve Alive & Kickin’

  “My country, right or wrong…”

  Heart Announce Live Tours

  Anais Mitchell HADESTOWN Returns

  The Photographer’s Selection

  Gaza Nightmare Continues

  Princess Goes COME OF AGE

  Philip ‘Seth’ Campbell Live

  This Troubled World

  Dark Side Of The Moon 50th

  The More I Hear The Less I Know

  Great Albums: Fresh New Life

  Hozier’s New Album

  Nicole Atkins Jim Sclavunos Live

  SBT (Sarabeth Tucek) Live

  I’m As Angry As Hell!

  Magnum - A Year in Ukraine

  Alessandra Sanguinetti Interview

  The Damn Truth Live

  Newton Faulkner Live

  The Handsome Family Live

  The State We’re In Pt II

  Eric Gales Live

  The Cavalry Never Arrived

  Chvrches Live

  Andrés Peña Flamenco Star Live

  Paul Draper Live

  A Fly-Free Zone

  Liverpool Jazz Festival

  The Charlatans Live

  UK Democracy Threatened

  Rag’n'Bone Man Live

  Sea Girls Live

  Martha Wainwright Live

  Politics is Failing

  Lucy Kruger TRANSIT TAPES

  Joe Bonamassa Live!

  Rodrigo Y Gabriela Interview

  Music & Brexit

  Happy New Year?

  On Barbra Streisand

  The State We’re In…

  Welcome Back! But To What?

  What Have We Done?

  A RISK TOO FAR

  Photojournalism Hero

  Samantha Fish Live

  Gill Landry Live in Chester

  Noah Gundersen Live

  David Gilmour’s Interview

  Snow Patrol Live in Manchester

  New Model Army Live

  Shakespears Sister Live

  Lamb Live in Manchester

  The Struts Live

  Sting & Shaggy Live

  David Gray Live in Liverpool

  John Lennon Interview


They Might Be Giants Live

tm-2 Manchester Academy, 1 February 2016

Lock the doors, we are going all night long” orders John Flansburgh to security from the get go. And with over 30 years of friendship and playing together with John Linnell since high school you get the sense they can and will just keep on playing. The setlist starts at over 30 songs before even considering any additional material and anecdotes which litter the proceedings like old flames you stumble upon on Facebook - but in a good way.

The band is delighted that so many people have turned out and that fans know every song old, new and covered. This is magnified by the expertly set up venue on demand from the band to have the crowd as close to them as possible - which makes photographing them more intimate than is normally the case. Flansburgh acknowledges this and embraces all the other people working with kind words and a broad smile.

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They kick off with ‘The Statue Got Me High’ with Linnell rocking the accordion and Flansburgh prowling by his side barely able to contain himself. There is an energy which is so often neglected by younger musicians these days - it is not about running and jumping about, which Flansburgh attempts with the poise and athleticism you can only admire in a man in his mid 50s - this is about the songs and the almost feral need to play and play hard. Linnell moves to the keyboard for ‘Can’t Keep Johnny Down’ and from there things become a joyful celebratory blur with equal comfort and ease they race through singles, album tracks, a quite intoxicating cover of Beyonce’s ‘Bills, Bills, Bills’ and stories to accompany and entertain.

‘Don’t Let’s Start’ provides an early highlight, ‘Meet James Ensor’ sparkles mid-set and the utterly timeless ‘Birdhouse In Your Soul’ as ever provides the perfect final flourish to this - and any show you’re likely to see! Flansburgh and Linnell are forever simmering with engaging banter and a surprised glint in their eyes that they can’t believe they are still doing this - like there is an in-joke they shared in high school and are still waiting for the punchline.

The charm and wit laden lyrics, perfected harmonies and solid backing band create a synergy that is being hailed as their greatest line up and tour to date. And after 30 years that is quite some feat. This is already going to be one of the musical highlights of 2016 and it was a genuine pleasure to have been part of it.

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SETLIST

The Statue Got Me High
Can’t Keep Johnny Down
Music Jail, Parts 1 & 2
Don’t Let’s Start
I Love You For Psychological Reasons
Turn Around
Authenticity Trip
Nothing’s Gonna Change My Clothes
We Live in a Dump
When Will You Die

Answer
Man, It’s So Loud In Here
Bills, Bills, Bills (Destiny’s Child cover)
Older
Cloisonne
Trouble Awful Devil Evil
Meet James Ensor

The Famous Polka
Number Three
Where Your Eyes Don’t Go
Careful What You Pack

Let Me Tell You About My Operation
Alphabet Of Nations

James K. Polk
Twisting
Doctor Worm
I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar (Jonathan Richman Cover)
Particle Man
Damn Good Times
She’s an Angel
Robot Parade
Birdhouse In Your Soul

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http://www.theymightbegiants.com/


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