Carling Live 24 - Various Venues (Manchester) - 28.5.05

One man. One woman. Several pints of lager and a group of people who couldn't quite take the full day of the Carling Live 24 challenge. In what looks to be the marathon event for gig goers each year Alex McCann set to do for rock n roll what Paula Radcliffe failed to do for athletics...and actually ended up making it to the end.

The Longcut get full marks for not only playing at stupid o'clock (8am), but also having booked a late night DJ set the night before at Club Save Yourself to mark the launch of "A Quiet Life" Ep. Now that the novelty of the drumming singer boy Stuart Oglivie has worn off it's time to let the tunes do the talking. The elements of this post-punk post-rock disco music are far from original - equal parts Fugazi, Mogwai and Joy Division - but the likes of "Transition" manage to wake up the crowd in time for the bar opening at 9am. The show didn't have the riotous energy where the Acoustic Anarchy had MTV bosses panicking last month at the Spanking New Night, but at this time of morning the crowd is about as energetic as Pete Doherty with a needle in his arm.

I Am Kloot's Johnny Bramwell's been doing his bit for European relations over the past week. 2 days ago he got back from a promotional tour and a few hours after today's show he'll be back in Paris for a series of TV interviews. The former Mr Dangerously notes with a wry smile that this is "f**king stupid" before launching into a warm acoustic glow with a biting bitter lyrical underside. IAK gigs have always been a celebration of Mancunia where friends and family come together (but not in that crass old school variety show-isms of Badly Drawn Boy). Older tracks such as "To You", "Morning Rain" and "Twist" mix along with the new more commercial material from the "Gods And Monsters" album.

After stopping off at the Coffee Pot, the sort of cafe where you should be wearing dungarees in a Dexy's Midnight Runners re-enactment of boys in caff's, it was off to the Ritz for some modern day Northern Soul from Doves. The bands journey from happy clappy danceheads Sub Sub to the band we see now has been well documented, but the band we see now is perhaps the band most as ease with itself as to where they stand musically. "Black And White Town" with the simple piano progression and pounding drums turns the Ritz into the Wigan Casino where the only thing missing is talcum powder, funky dancers and a wrap of speed. The rest of the eclectic set veers between epic U2 sized ballads such as "Words" and the mournful "Cedar Room" through to breakthrough tracks "Pounding" and "There Goes The Fear". A victorious show if ever we saw one and Jimi's aunt Betty was there along for the ride.

Long-view's return to Manchester has been long awaited but with only one new song aired in the brief 30 minute set, the words difficult second album loom large over proceedings. "Hollow" has touches of a slight Americana influence no doubt inspired by the months touring the States, but there's still the epic pretensions of old with Rob's drawn out vocals. It's good to have them back, but you can only draw on one album for so long.

Stephen Fretwell's been tipped as the next big thing for the past few years and with recent high profile supports slots with KT Tunstall and Keane he looks set to deliver on that early promise. Designer Magazine first witnessed Fretwell when he was supported by a little known Scouse band the Stands in March 2003 at Band On The Wall. Since that moment management changes and irregular gigs led many to think that Fretwell has failed to seize the moment, but today it's those early songs that still stand out with "Emily", "New York" and "Run" being modern Manc classics. An attempted and aborted cover of Joni Mitchell's "Riding On A White Swan" only adds to the charm.

It's hard to imagine where it all went right, but Elbow have changed from morose bedsit dwelling student favourites to one of the best live acts out of the city. There's always been a strange relationship between Elbow as people and the music they make, but slowly and surely the music has taken an uplifting mood shift as if the new dawn has brought the sun up. New tracks "Buddha with Mace", "My Very Best" and "Leaders of the Free World" are the best they've done and baby Dylan (Jupp's son) and the impending fatherhood of Mark and Craig seem to have given the band a new found spirit rather than saddle them with dadrock.

The Coral's last show in Manchester is still fresh in our memories, but despite playing an abridged set of the same show, tonight couldn't be anymore different. Maybe they feel the need to prove something rather than resting on their laurels, but James Skelly and his Scousedelic merrymen are on fire tonight. "In The Morning" has been rescued from Room 101's novelty tunes from hell and displays itself as a fresh faces summer tune par excellence. "Pass It On" with it's Byrds meets Beatles school of songwriting and "Dreaming Of You", the best song the Doors never wrote, stood out but there's no denying that recent album "The Invisible Invasion" is the sound of a band running out of steam, still it doesn't show tonight. With a few misgivings The Coral have redefined themselves as a great live band.

Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Lo-Fi Allstars, Indian Ropeman - there's a dozen artists we could list who exploded in the Big Beat scene, but it's only the Chemical Brothers who still make relevant and essential club bangers. The live shows have always been full of high tech light shows and projections, which elevate the 4-4 rhythms and warped effects which can veer between the sound of washing machines, hoovers and house style keys. "Galvanise" steals the set with it's bollywood sample and Q-Tip rhymes and the classic "Hey Boy (Hey Girl)" is one of the true dance anthems of the past 10 years. With shows like this you sense the Chemical Brothers will be delivering sets till they're on Zimmer frames.

Following bizarre choices of support slots with The Thrills, Morrissey and The Tears, The Dead 60s seem to have found their natural audience with Ian Brown fans. "Riot Radio", "Loaded Gun" and "You're Not The Law" all reverberate with the spirit of the Clash. All punky spiky guitars and dub rhythms with a working class attitude that soundtracks the uprising of the proles.

Rumours of the impending Stone Roses reunion are blown out of the water when Ian Brown announces "You've heard the rumours - well this is the reunion" in the middle of a set which includes legendary classic "I Wanna Be Adored", "Made Of Stone", "Sally Cinnamon" and "She Bangs The Drums". It's the sort of dream set list that should leave his own material paling in comparison, but his latest album "Solarized" from which tonight is drawn from stands tall and proud as Brown swaggers and shadow boxes his way through "F.E.A.R", "Time Is Everything" and "Keep What Ya Got". It's hard to imagine him calling time on his solo career when the live shows are as strong as this.

As we walk out of the Academy 1 it finally hits us that these marathon gigs should only be done once a year and start training with regular binge drinking each weekend till Carling Live 24 in 2006.

Words: Alex McCann
Photos: Shirlaine Forrest  www.shirlainephotos.co.uk

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CARLING LIVE 24 - MANCHESTER - PHOTO GALLERY

Over the 24 hours of Carling Live 24 in Manchester, Designer Magazine's photographer Shirlaine Forrest was being ferried by bus from venue to venue capturing striking images of the bands in action. Here we provide a selection of the main bands

THE LONGCUT

I AM KLOOT

LONG-VIEW

DOVES

STEPHEN FRETWELL

ELBOW

THE CORAL

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS

DEAD 60'S

IAN BROWN

Words: Alex McCann
Photos: Shirlaine Forrest  www.shirlainephotos.co.uk

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