Date: Saturday 19 January, 2008, 9.30pmVenue: Academy 1
Face value: £11.00(ish) + booking fee
Support Act: Cartel and Boy Like Girls
Gig buddy: Phil
What on earth made me think it would be good idea to head out on a wet, miserable January night I have no idea - and it was miserable. Raining sideways is not an expression for those of us in the north, it's a fact of life. Anyway, given I have been on a stupidly big diet (seriously, this year I will lose the extra pounds, honest) AND I had been to the gym thrice in a week (ha! Virgin Active - you thought you could have my £26.95 a month and never see me again! who's the fool now!?) it seemed fair that dinner out was acceptable. And a fruit beer. Unfortunately, the latter was again not on offer at the Kro Bar (second time in a row and it's not like I was late!!) so I was left wanting at our regular haunt again. When you take away the niceties of a refreshing strawberry beer, Kro becomes any other bar, unfortunately, though their food is pretty tasty and well priced. Nevermind, I scoff my mussels and we head to the Academy as Cartel are departing the stage. Once more, the Academy is teeming with youths and I am wondering whether my age group actually go out any more... Regardless, the next support act (Boys Like Girls) are okay, even if they look like estate agents on a christmas do and are as edgy as a tennis ball. In fact, every song sounds like it's from an American angst-ridden teen movie. But they swear alot which gets the younger folk excited and mention how great Manchester is (yawn, we know, thanks). Reasonable set, though each song is a carbon copy of the other, so if you like one song, you'll like all of them. Most entertaining thing about this band is watching the bass player give himself whiplash repeatedly while they all take turns to stand on the speakers. Finally at half nine, Plain White T's enter the stage to the whooping of several hundred girls down the front. There are plenty of men too, but the lead singer (Tom Higgenson) from this Chicago band is clearly a hit with the ladies. Again, much mention of how great Manchester is and that it is better than Birmingham in a needless attempt to endear himself to the crowd. Most of the album is played and it sound good - far better performance than I expected for an £11 ticket. Short encore-break and they finish with the single that broke them over here: 'Hey There Delilah' which as expected is received very well. So well in fact that we estimated that 25% of the audience were recording it on their camera-phones. Check out youtube - bound to be a hundred clips on there, minimum. Shame people can't just enjoy the experience.
Overall: Average gig, reasonable value for £11. Don't go expecting every song to sound like 'Delilah'. They don't.
Rating: 3 radio friendly guitars.
