WORDS AND IMAGES BY PAUL EVANS
‘Lauren Punching The Air To The Words “Will you meet me more than halfway up” The Crowd Raising Their Hands In Response’
During the 1970s and 80s, the Apollo in Manchester was the place to watch large scale touring bands. I saw The Cure here in 1985 which, given that tonight’s headline band, Chvrches have recently recorded and performed with Robert Smith is very apt.
I’m slightly taken aback by how big the crowd is to be honest. There must be 3,500 people here to watch and hear the Glasgow synth-pop band and the photography pit is packed too, which is always a good sign of a quality band. Tonight’s gig is the last of a small UK tour to promote the bands last album “Screen Violence” recorded during lockdown, before a North American tour begins next month.
Support band High School played a blinding set and as “Night Shift” by Siouxsie and the Banshees fades out over the PA, a microphone is placed centre stage and the lights go down. Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and Jonny Scott take their positions on the riser at the back of the stage to raucous applause. The bands effervescent singer, Lauren Mayberry, dressed in a sculptured vivid red dress takes centre stage and raises her arms in the air motionless waiting for the drums, keyboard and bass of ‘He Said She Said’ to begin. She swirls around the stage in a sea of blood red light before singing “He said you bore me to death” “I know you heard me the first time” unanimously joined by the crowd.
“Leave a Trace” from 2015s Every Open Eye album is performed exquisitely in blue and white light with a digital TV noise video background behind the band. As the song slows the singer stands arms out-raised in the blue light clapping her hands above her head as the crowd join in on Martin Doherty’s backing vocals.
“Forever” from 2018s Love Is Dead follows, its 80s film soundtrack driven sound sees Lauren in mock argument with Iain who had joined her from behind his keyboards to play guitar. We’re back to the Screen Violence album for the next few tracks, firstly “California”, growling along on a thundering bass-line Simon Gallup would happily call his own and then the sparkling gloom of “How Not to Drown”. A song which fittingly reminds me of Burn by The Cure, the recorded version finds Lauren exchanging lyrics with the Cure frontman Robert Smith himself. As the song slows to a beautiful outro, reminiscent of the swathes of guitar and piano of Cocteau Twins the crowd slow their swaying and the stage lights dim before Lauren leaves the stage for a quick change.
She bounces back onto the stage to the Cure/Peter Hook sounding bassline of the magnificent “Violent Delights” swinging her hair in the dark blue lights before being bandaged in blood red lights and falling to her knees for the songs end. A stunning performance and my favourite track so far.
“Bury It” from Love Is Dead, “Miracle” from The Bones of What You Believe and “Night Sky” are all orally and visually stunning. Blue lights, star trail video, a call and response by Lauren answered by backing vocals and the non-stop prowling energy of the singer remind me how impressive and how far the band have come since I heard Clearest Blue in 2015. I’m sure the band could find problems but standing out in the stalls, so far it has been a flawless performance.
Following another quick costume change, the sparkling, euphoric, radiance of ‘Final Girl’ juxtaposes perfectly with the lyrics “I wonder if I should have changed my accent/tried to make myself more attractive.” Lauren leaves the stage again, this time for the last time, returning with blood splatter on her Final Girl t-shirt, face and arms to perform “The Mother We Share” and firstly “Asking for a Friend”. Spectacular in blue stage lighting and pink neon cascading video squares she raises her arms, pounding the air, jumping, spinning, all as the song explodes into a vivid rave fragment, singing “I fill my bed with my regrets, but it hasn’t killed me yet” in her Glasgow accent. Wow.
Unbelievably still not out of breath the singer speaks to the crowd for the first time.
“Thank you for being here. It’s nice to see all the t-shirts from all the eras of the band and the homemade shirts and homemade costumes”
“I never thought I’d get to be in a band where people gave that much of a shit. Thank you for giving a shit” she laughingly continues as the night comes to an end in a blue sea of moving spotlights highlighted with white neon vertical lights.
Everyone and I mean everyone is on their feet clapping as, the first words of “Clearest Blue” brings the performance to a close. Lauren punching the air to the words “Will you meet me more than halfway up” the crowd raising their hands in response. The pace and quality of the set has been aurally and visually spellbinding. With regular shoutouts of “Lauren, we love you” from the crowd they seem to have really enjoyed it too. My first thought on leaving is when is the first date of the American Tour and where did I put my passport?
SETLIST:
1/ He Said She Said
2/ Forever
3/ Leave a Trace
4/ California
5/ How Not to Drown
6/ Violent Delights
7/ Science/Visions
8/ Good Girls
9/ Bury It
10/ Miracle
11/ Night Sky
12/ Final Girl
13/ Recover
14/ Never Say Die
Encore:
15/ Asking for a Friend
16/ The Mother We Share
17/ Clearest Blue
FOLLOW CHVRCHES
I’ve loved music since forever. Graphic designer, photographer and artist at painted.papillon.smile (www.ppsdesign.co.uk)
