A quick return to the scene of the crime, this… just 2 days after leaving the Exchange early due to the awful sound at the Redd Kross gig, I’m back again, hoping for something better from Mancunian post-punk gloom merchants Ist Ist. As with fellow Mancs and loose contemporaries Slow Reader’s Club, they’re a band for whom I’m very late to the party, just picking up on their current, 4th (!) album “Light A Bigger Fire” on release a couple of months ago, immediately finding an excellent slab of brooding guitar-led (with odd synth embellishments) tuneage, featuring redolent growling bass and clipped, understated yet authoritative vocals adding appropriate and atmospheric gravitas. Sounds familiar? Well, maybe, but a) as a Manchester band, they’ll inevitably get tagged as “Joy Division-esque”, b) this dark, menacing gothy post-punk itch is one I’m happy to scratch over and over again until I bleed, as long as the vocalist is actually singing rather than hectoring me as if from Speaker’s Corner (yes, Fontaines DC, I’m talking about you…) and c) Tunes? On the evidence of “LABF”, Ist Ist got ‘em, dude. Big towering choral hooks aplenty. What’s not to like?
Set off about 7 and parked up in a free spot directly opposite the venue, in just before 8. Result! Nottingham lot Cucamaras were on in pretty short order, opening up with some speedy, taut and angular guitar based indie punk, with an almost spoken word ranting and gabbling delivery from the tousled vocalist. Just when I was ready to dismiss them as Yard Act’s “B” team, however, they delivered a literal “Clothesline”, said number featuring a buoyant, catchy Vaccines-like tune and an excellent descending choral hook. Nice! Next single “Laughing” was an insistent groove with a slightly harsh C86 jangly vibe, recalling for me my 80’s faves Close Lobsters, and by the glam stomp and big Britpop terrace chant choral hook of closer “Spoken Word” I was on board. Skeptical at first, but they ultimately won me over, and I’d like to catch them again…
Took a loo trip then took a spot near the front, house left, noticing the plethora of Ist Ist tees around me (the Ist Ist massive, like Slow Readers’ fans, seem a seriously devoted lot) and chatting with Paul, a fellow punter taking a night off from his preferred symphonic metal (!) tonight! Ist Ist took the stage at 9, and with the minimum of fuss, launched into the taut, tense gallop of new album opener “Lost My Shadow”, vocalist Adam Houghton’s doomy, resonant vocals and Andy Keating’s undulating, Hooky-like bass already propelling the sound along. Fears of a repeat of Tuesday were immediately dispelled; it sounded great, the building Interpol-esque “The Kiss” and sweeping, brooding oldie “Stamp You Out” following in very short order. Nary a moment to catch breath between numbers; Ist Ist were on a mission tonight, no messin’!
“There’s fucking loads of you! Thanks for coming down!” exclaimed Andy after the lighter, more haunting and ephemeral “Black”, and that was pretty much it, as far as chat went, for the first half of the set, the black-clad band staying firmly in moody, taciturn character, delivering their material with clipped determination and purpose, although an early highlight was the more buoyant backbeat synth fanfare and contrasting vocal lines of an excellent, White Lies-like “I Can’t Wait For You”. However, the seriocity was well and truly skewered after the tumbling drums of the mid-set “Fools Paradise”; Adam finally addressed us with a deadpan, “are you having a nice time? I am – it doesn’t look like it, I’ve got one of those faces...!”, thereafter announcing Andy’s birthday today and bringing on the roadie with a chocolate caterpillar cake!
Candles blown out, “Happy Birthday” sung (and, inexplicably, Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” turned off the p.a) later, Ist Ist were back to business, with a towering “Repercussions”; a later lighters-aloft anthemic “Dreams Aren’t Enough” recalled the widescreen epic sweep of old 90’s faves Adorable; and “Emily” was an eerie, stripped back gothy beast with an audience-powered singalong hook. They eschewed the pantomime of an encore, instead ploughing through with a rip-snorting “Your Mine” and an elegiac “Ghost”, to top an impressive, surprisingly varied 1¼ hour, 20 song set. Excellent stuff!
Missed
out on a list, as they were snagged by or handed out to the front-row disciples
rather than this Johnny-come-lately. Fair enough really! That wasn’t it for me though,
as an intended brief chat with bassist and birthday boy Andy outside the venue
turned into an entertaining and animated near-half hour discussion on
post-punk, band influences, Bowie, Bunnymen and that fine line when a gig
becomes a “show”, with a voluble and very knowledgeable young man, completely
smashing that taciturn onstage persona in the process. Honestly, I could’ve
chatted a whole lot longer, but after a pic with the man and his jovial
(offstage at least!) vocalist Adam, I tore myself away for a circuitous and M32
closure-affected drive out of Bristol which eased when I hit the M4, home just
before midnight. That was way better than I’d anticipated; it seems I’ve
clearly got a bit of catching up to do with Ist Ist, but I’m glad I’m now on
board with this talented and highly promising band!
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