The room itself is Dairylea shaped, the stage at the point of the triangle. It is also pretty posh, including being carpeted! The home keeper in you is temporarily shocked, wondering how theyll get the stains out, but you quickly recall that wont be your problem!
Rachael Kichenside will feel at home here, this warm decoration perfect for her laid back jazzy tunes. In truth, this isnt her audience, but she does have a lovely voice and flashed the crowd an alluring broad smile at the end of the each line which can only endear her to a crowd. Her songs, of which Long Time Later is the pick, are likely to find more favour with the casinos clientele who are outside playing the tables.
Weve been brought here by Manchester based TV station Channel M for their new Great Northern Music Show, their remit to bring us the best of Manchesters music, either from bands based here or just passing through. They certainly made a good call in booking Gideon Conn.
With his eye-shrinking spectacles and oversized cap combined with suit, Conn looks nothing like the entertainer. He could indeed be the personification of the never judge a book by its cover as from the start of the prophetic opener The Band Will Find a Way Into Your Heart, Conn and his friends do just that with an bizarre combination of a helium nerd rap over an acoustic guitar, some Fun Lovin' Criminals bass and a scat ending done whilst dancing like a Thunderbird puppet. The words are often hilarious too Manchester could be housing its very own Randy Newman.
Conn has a further legacy. Whilst other acts are on he sketches them and gives them the results. Snowfight In The City Centre are suitably impressed, despite Conn having giving them a hard act to follow. A task made more difficult given lead guitarist Matt Cocksedge was jumped by scallies shortly before they arrived at the venue.
Despite that, they play an exceptionally tight version of Snow Patrol indie pop the slow burning song that builds up into a heavy guitar thrashing crescendo. Proudly ginger front man Adam Jennings is a confident performer, chatting happily to the audience. The music is a bit too formulaic for my ears, but as their forerunners have shown it only takes one song to capture public imagination and with that you can take on the world. Snowfight havent got that yet, but there are signs that they are capable. Mind you, should that happen Ill probably despise them, sick of that bloody hit record!
article by: Jonathan Haggart
published: 13/11/2006 08:47
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.