He’s right. Tonight, we’re witnessing Manchester’s biggest kept secret. A few years ago this trucker-capped, plaid wearing four-piece played these kind of venues every week. Now, after fries munching and hanging with the real roadies recording their debut in LA, they’re about to be re-united with a home crowd of friends and fans alike.  | | Nine Black Alps (pic: Shirlaine Forrest) |
Only Martin’s chilling at the foosball table, David and James are chatting at the bar and Sam’s nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they’ve got cold feet? After all, tonight it’s more a small social gathering than a comeback gig and as a result, the club Save Yourself hosts are getting anxious that people have kept so schtum about the gig, nobody’s even turned up. Fortunately by the time the band step onstage, Sam in striped t-shirt and with knee poking suitably through torn, scuffed denim, a handful of punters have gathered to witness a couple of things the Alps have been working on for the past few months. Unfortunately we can’t tell you too much, as it’s so early on, even the band don’t know the titles yet, but as soon as the Orange amps are on overdrive and the first drum-lead guitar riff kicks in, Sam belts out a chorus dripping with so much vitriol it sounds like a call to every scenester in town to stop whatever they’re doing and stampede their way to the front to experience it, whilst Martin strides wide and swings his bass as though handling a giant-sized fly swat to bat each one away again.  | | Nine Black Alps (pic: Shirlaine Forrest) |
Who knows whether tonight’s crowd are simply hypnotised by Sam’s swinging mane or just that they’re the first to experience an uninterrupted album’s worth of brand-spanking new material, but as we’re nonchantly introduced to Daytime Habit, which shakes the ground like an earthquake, heads are nodding more vigorously than ever. With sheer ferocity, a track which can only be named 'it’s a drag' and the full-throttle pace of biting lyrics like "I can’t help it, I can’t help myself, I’m just me" sit deep under everyone’s skin just before bringing the set to its close with still harder-than-ever oldie Shot Down. "We’re called Nine Black Alps," Sam dutifully informs afterwards with a nod. It’s true, if you didn’t know them already, the secret’s out. | 
