Amongst Liars LIVE Review
Amongst Liars, James Kennedy & The Underdogs, Trenches
Gullivers NQ, Manchester
13/07/2024
Live Review by Oli Gonzalez
Yearning. Noun. A feeling of intense longing for something. In my case, a yearning for fresh auditory and artistic stimulus. A yearning that led me to Manchester’s Northern Quarter for a night of modern Alternative Rock, while taking me outside of my usual comfort zone of extreme metal. After all, a similar experiment earlier this year had proven to be rather fruitful in the very nearby Castle Hotel (read about it here Shape of Water, Raised By Wolves, Lythium – Ever Metal (ever-metal.com ). This time though, a new venue for me; Gullivers.
Situated only a few-minutes walk from the nearest tram stop, I did wonder if there’d be enough room to store a drum kit inside this tiny bar nestled in Manchester’s vibrant Northern Quarter, yet alone be capable of hosting a rock night! That’s when I quickly realised this was like the Tardis and the night’s festivities would be taking place in the much larger function room and venue upstairs. Festivities spearheaded by headline act Amongst Liars, who were on the By Design tour to promote the release of their latest album of the very same name. Enlisting support from Trenches and James Kennedy & The Underdogs made for a triumvirate of hard rock and the complete line up.
Confession time. Normally I research the bands to death and get my money’s worth from my Spotify subscription by performing a deep dive into each band’s back catalogue prior to the show. This time however, I was going in blind and wanted to discover the band’s sounds organically, in the flesh. Would my gamble pay off? Who knows. First off, Trenches…
First up, the Preston-based hard rockers. A band who’s name I had seen on multiple line ups around the North West but had never gotten round to checking out. Why did I leave it so long? There was so much to admire here. Despite being given the graveyard opening slot, this didn’t deter the band at all as they churned out a technically proficient performance. No thrills, bells or whistles. Just good old fashioned meaty riffs, soaring vocals, and deceptively complex rhythmic patterns forming the backbone to the band’s sound. Far from cliché though, each song felt unique and offered something different to a solid opening set. I just wish more had been there to witness it.
If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. As the old adage goes. Or in the case of James Kennedy & The Underdogs, if a show’s worth playing, it’s worth throwing every ounce of energy and every fibre of your being into that show! That’s exactly what we got on this evening from the quartet! Every strike of the guitar, every thunderous hit of the drum kit, every thunderous rumble from the bass and every soaring bellow from the band’s lead vocalist each forming the fabric of a wonderfully crafted performance. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts though, with the overall energy of the band sending the Manchester audience into frenzy, with many dancing along (is there a greater compliment for a performer?). The pace slowed down though and the acoustic guitar came out for the song “Drown” (I believe it was named), a song centred around ‘looking after each other’ and a well-received message about the importance of mental health. This speaks volumes to the versatility of the band’s performance and sound, as well as the deeper meaning to their craft. I had never listened to the band prior to tonight but will make a conscious effort to have a deep dive into what is surely an impressive back catalogue.
The stage was warmed up, the crowd red hot, and the bar set mighty high after a blistering performance from James Kennedy & The Underdogs. Time for Amongst Liars. Whereas it had been quieter earlier in the evening, the venue was now suitably packed. The presence of the band’s merch amongst the crowd made it clear who they were here to see. Not to be outdone on their headline tour, the dramatic opening sound track and theatrical walk-on made for the impression of superstars. On this night, they were superstars! Those who were lurking at the back for the other bands had made their way to the front for this set. A set which took you in many musical directions. From neck jerking grooves, to soaring guitar leads that made you want to whip out your air guitar, to sporadic bursts of balls-to-wall aggression reminiscent of the late 90s-early 00s Nu-Metal scene. There was so much to admire in the band’s sound. If you get a chance to see Amongst Liars, just do it. You won’t regret this!
So, a journey out of my comfort zone indeed this evening. A bit of a gamble perhaps. Did it pay off? Certainly. Would I do this again? Hell yes. Am I still yearning to seek out more alternative rock and to expand my horizons? You betcha!
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