Boy Kill Boy - Manchester Ritz - 17.10.06

Boy Kill Boy have played that many Manchester gigs that Jamie Oliver will soon be piloting a new TV show to purge the kids off the new BKB epidemic. We'd like to think he'd do this by repeatedly telling the nation that their frontman looks increasingly like Richard Madeley, but we've discovered that Designer Magazine are the only ones that think this. It's a fast food cultural thing where by the fact that although the band have only released one album they're playing a near sell out show at a 1000 capacity venue and it's that ultimate curse of the music journalist that we've seen it all before a million times whereas to many here tonight it's fresh and exciting as when we first saw them.

Not that Boy Kill Boy have grown tired. On many of the tracks such as "Suzie" or "Cheaper" they're the best we've seen the band since we initially caught them opening for Hard Fi at Manchester's Night & Day about 18 months ago. Now will a much fuller sound which seems to grow and expand every time we see them the only downer is the over familiarity with the material which isn't helped by the fact their stablemates The Enemy are already coming across as an edgier rawer proposition. For every glorious high there's the fact that the new single tries hard to emulate Blur's "To The End" and fails spectacularly or that the new song "Promises", featuring an additional member on acoustic guitar, is a futile exercise in showing a different dimension, but the song structures remain exactly the same and if anything the addition of the acoustic takes much of the spiky energy away.

"Back Again" and "Civil Sin" are the two songs that really hit the mark though, the latter a surprise hit that for many will will define them.

Despite the underwhelming new song played tonight, Boy Kill Boy are in a good position. Their fanbase is large enough to ensure anticipation for a second album while not having that uber-hit ala The Automatic or Hard Fi which restraints future output. Boy Kill Boy can manoeuvre where they want on the next release and providing they can refine those elements which make the band great im sure there next appearance in Manchester will be a cluster of blinding lights and spellbinding music

Words: Alex McCann
Photos: Kirsty Umback www.kirstyumback.com

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