 | | The Grates |
So, please forgive me in advance if I do slip into the realms of cliché here. Because Lordy, The Grates live up to their name by being…errr…great. Imagine the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion being fronted by a rather good looking lass with a cracking set of lungs on her who is - much to the joy of the various young gentlemen in the audience - not afraid to jump up and down a fair bit. Not even the fact that the band had their laptops, Mp3 players and various other items of electrical equipment nicked from the backstage area by some chancer can stop her breaking out into a spot of ribbon dancing. Which is impressive by anyone’s standards.  | | The Young Knives |
The Young Knives are currently the hip young things on the modern music scene, which is surprising because to the untrained eye, they look like a trio of Geography teachers. Even they describe themselves to the assembled Mancunian crowd as being just a bunch of “fat posh old blokes.” However, this doesn’t stop a bunch of rather overexcited young ladies at the front screaming for them as though they were being disembowled. Well, it takes all sorts I suppose. As Gang-Of-Four tributes act go, it has to be said they’re the best of the bunch, diving into songs from their debut album, Voices of Animals and Men, with vicious aplomb, only pausing to occasionally poke fun at bassist, the interestingly named “House of Lords,” particularly when it comes to songs he’s been assigned to sing on such as recent single, The Decision. By the encore, there’s even the odd girl here and there deciding that stage diving to slow songs may be a good idea. And hey, when you’ve got ten dozen sweaty teenagers wanting to take their lives into their hands then you know you’ve made it. Good luck to them. | 
