When going to see a gig, we often are filled with excitement and curiosity and tonight was no exception! However, there is something looming as I hear people talking as we were queuing for entry. The Ruby Lounge; a place that has housed acts such as Feeder, Florence & The Machine and Joss Stone; was closing its final doors at the end of the year due to a new build in the heart of Manchester. Knowing it was either the last or one of the last times to be here put a different light on the gig.
First, on stage, we were presented with a Hereford-based 3-piece called Nature of Wires, who reminded me quite a lot of 80’s Synth Pop band ‘Erasure’. Lady B, their former vocalist had joined members Andrew Stirling-Brown (Vocals) & Gary Watts (Synth) for this tour. Styled up like a 70’s cowgirl, she brought life to the stage which made everyone want to dance! Especially during ‘Negative Resolutions’ which has stuck in my mind ever since I feel it was their strongest song of the night. Later on the set, Gary whipped on some Neon glasses, in which was quite surprising to me as I’m not sure what it was meant to add. Lady B seemed to make the performance who I feel Nature of Wires are meant to be, which is a shame that she is a former member. Maybe she will return?
Blackpool Dynamic Darkwave Duo Auger took to the stage; their feet were rooted but their bodies wild. Kieran (Guitar) threw his hair back like a lion’s mane, whilst Kyle (Vocals, Synths) threw his fist energetically in the air whilst meaning every word he exhaled. He leans out to the audience to make every word heard. Auger performs with more pride than a 2 piece could handle, but they feed it to the applauding audience with ease. The lighting was already limited during their performance; darkening even more, the set tones down to the eerie sound of Kieran’s harmonics diving into ‘Night Crawlers’. It comes to me that Kyle’s voice resembles a little of Ville Valo in the lower octaves. Picking up the pace, Kieran move’s so much his mic stand starts to move with him and it almost falls over numerous times! It’s safe to say that I’ll be making sure I see a lot more of these boys and I’m sure that mic stand will see the ground at some point.
Deadfilmstar are next and the Coventry-based band brings a horror element to the night, warming up what’s to come later on. They are all wearing special contact lenses; Vocalist Gary had completely pitch black eyes, appearing like some sort of demon. To set the scene whilst performing, he leans over the front of the stage to touch people’s heads as if he’s marking his territory. Dragging his guitarist by his hood and dreadlocked hair, he moves like he’s on the prowl for his prey. Before tonight I have heard references to Marilyn Manson and I have to say they are spot on. If you weren’t consumed by this band at the start, then you were now and there is not much more I can say other than go and check them out for yourself!
It was the moment we’d been waiting for, the stage is black and the crew lights the way for the members of Lord of the Lost to enter, all covered in black and white paint. The suspense is there, but ripped apart by an explosion of energy into ‘On This Rock I Will Build My Church’, the floor shaking beneath us as everybody is encouraged to chant ‘Hey’ from the first few lines – straight down to business! Chris’s (Vocals) voice has a Rammstein vibe; he also sings with great emotion and in between each song, we’re graced with a smile. You just know he is truly honoured to be performing this show, which it means a lot to him. That happiness powers him, he fist bumps one of the fans at the front halfway through the set and it’s almost like there was an injection of influence. He directs us to scream at him “Scream for me!” and we obey him. I looked down at my phone saving a video for a second, eyes back up and Chris has mounted the amp right next to me, serenading the audience from a height. They wrapped up towards the end of the set with a cover of Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’. There is no doubt about it, this band will definitely be back in the UK again soon enough, although in a different setting.
All photos © Shannon Landers Photography
