The Kills / The Longcut - Manchester Academy 3 - 8.2.05

Former Manchester University students The Longcut return to their old haunt this time to don the stage they may once have watched favourite bands on. Fresh from their gig at Manchester's bierkeller, the frenetic rock-electro band took to the stage opening for The Kills.

Those that have seen the band before were certainly in the know, whilst new listeners were clearly surprised at the novel line-up entering the stage. Who was going to play the unspoken for drum kit?

Breaking into "Late Night Bus" and "Last Act of Desperate Men," all was revealed as singer Stuart Oglivie flitted from Mic to drum kit and back again. The band's relentless energy and passion for music shines, and they rightfully don't give a damn about deep or mathematical problem style lyrics, and why should they when they sound this good? Top it off with epic, frenetic, and pure moody instrumentals to drift away to and classic closer "Quiet Life" and you are onto a winner.

The blues punk duo strode on stage as though in mood themed fancy dress, Hotel as the withdrawn mood, poised to stay in his comfort zone stage right, fixating his gaze across the sea of heads and onto the back wall. In contrast VV took the role of someone requiring a straitjacket, dancing around jerkily and throwing herself around the stage to every beat and chord, right from opener and piercing title track "No Wow." The sleazy blues rock band, The Kills, we know and love are back.

"Keep On Your Mean Side" paid an early visit, the sexual "Black Rooster" and passionate, hard rocking "Cat Claw" heated up the sexual chemistry, with VV throwing dark, smouldering looks across the stage, and Hotel playing hard to get. All this on-stage chemistry, and with Valentines Day approaching, there must have been love in the air everywhere right? Wrong! The ironic anti love story "I Hate The Way You Love" and "I Hate The Way You Love Part 2," showed a promising future for the sharp and witty new material, whilst new single "The Good Ones" was passionately delivered, but overshadowed by the enchanting "Your Love Is A Deserter."

A hypnotically pounding drum machine followed by drawled blues guitars and wistful shared vocals, for the bittersweet, old favourite "Kissy Kissy" took a hold and sounded enchanting in the intimate venue turned sleazy blues club.

The ever brilliant "Fried My Little Brains," brought the two characters down from the speakers and away from their comfort zone for a full on guitar duelling scene, resembling scenes of murder, scandal, and love seen only in the theatre. If you thought you had seen it all, think again, as VV lay back sprawled across the stage, with Hotel playing his guitar worshipping style over her. The band is as passionate about their show as they are their music, and that's saying something!

Katherine Tomlinson

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