The Shining - Manchester Hop & Grape - 16.04.02

Its like the quest for the Holy Grail. Think Indiana Jones dashing through pits of reptiles, whipping the competition away and then taking the mine cart to freedom. Its an essential force that drives all of us - the fact that one day you might just find that band or that piece of music. The type of music that feels as if you could touch the sun, jump over the moon and take on the world. The Shining are that once in a life time type of band.

Rising from the ashes of the Verve's rotting corpse and the post-Verve aftermath that followed with the bloated orchestral rock of Ashcroft, the Shining are about the here and now while still taking in influences from the best bands of the past 40 years. "Quicksilver" with its Led Zep groove driven bass line from ex-Verve Simon Jones and the call for arms from superstar in the making Duncan Baxter. Baxter, all northern chest beating swagger combined with the effeminate looks of Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Bend It Like Beckham, marks a move away from the bland everyday man attitude of Kelly Jones and Fran Healy and poses a real threat to the US conglomerate of the Strokes, the White Stripes and co.

In an all time low when there are no British acts in the US Billboard Top 100, the music industry creates a glorified talent competition where everyone's a winner and the press are content to push us the best new band of the year 52 weeks a year it's easy to be cynical. The Shining are the one true inspiration to us all and with time the Verve will become just a footnote in history, while the Shining will inspire the devotion of millions.

Alex McCann

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