Currently on a UK tour, Est.1987 headed down to the sold out Manchester Academy 2 show to see if the album was as good live as on record. Click below for our verdict…
With Gil Norton at the helm it’s no wonder that ‘Asymmetry’ has been a roaring success, and off the back of that, the UK tour isn’t doing too bad either; most shows have sold out with extra days being added. Tonight we are down at Manchester Academy 2- another sold out show and the crowd winding down the street hours before doors open is a sign that it is set to be a goodie. The temperature is rising and by the time Mallory Knox take to the stage we aren’t sure who’s more up for it, the band or the fervent crowd. And, kicking things off with the forceful ‘QOD II’, taken from the brand new album, the quintet make their mark, show they mean business and encourage the crowd even more. It is non-stop from here on in as new single, ‘Shout at The Moon’, follows and the anthem soars through the packed out room. If it’s not a circle pit, then it’s a wall of death; even album tracks such as ‘Getaway’ garner huge crowd participation.
It was nice to hear some oldies in the form of ‘Beggars’ and
‘Wake Up’, but tonight is all about the new record, and rightfully so. Anthem
after anthem, from beginning to end it is a high adrenaline show. Front-man
Mikey Chapman is an unstoppable force on stage and commands the crowd with
ease; his cheeky charm making a lot of their fan-base swoon. “Surprise”, he
shouts as the band make their way back on stage for an encore which can only be
described as monumental. ‘She Took Him To The Lake’ is a gargantuan seven
minute masterpiece. And off the back of that there is only one song which can
follow; ‘Lighthouse’. As the song builds to its climax, the crowd sings every
word back at the stage. The Cambridge five-piece certainly know how to write a
killer hook; their appeal is undeniable.
The huge rock instrumentals and effervescent
choruses aren’t a problem in the live arena, instead they are slick and even
better than on record. Mallory Knox effortlessly
cross to the popular commercial with rock and sugary sweet melodies; we aren’t
complaining and neither are the crowds on the sold out tour. 9/10
