Manchester Academy was buzzing with creativity on the 23rd
of November.The first band up,
Foxy Shazam, created a fascinating arts performance.Lead singer Eric Sean Nally had a huge presence as he
flaunted his body and spasmodically contorted himself into unusual positions,
along with mixing in a few balancing acts from the pipes on the ceiling.At one point he was clinging to his
trumpet player's hairstyle whilst he gyrated his body, balanced on the
trumpeter's shoulders!
Foxy Shazam were certainly a rare act; this American
experimental rock band is must-see for intense music lovers.As the performance progressed, Nally's
dramatic visual presence on stage increasingly could only be described as
resembling a blend of acts such as Captain Beefheart with a dash of LSD, mixing
in some Scissor Sisters.
Eric Sean Nally is a front man that certainly stands out
above the rest.He didn't seem to
hold anything back on stage.The
audience was lucky to capture this incredibly talented band in such a compact
venue.At intervals, Nally created
a very captivating highly pitched voice, as he randomly told the crowd stories
of how he lived in run-down areas.He also pointed out on occasions that all he wanted for Christmas was
love and a present!Nally's
slender body frame complimented his outfit, which resembled a Pierrot clown
doll.This gave off a magical
sense of an 18th century circus performer.He plucked invisible feathers out of the air, dismantled the
drum kit, and was in essence a very theatrical character, while Foxy Shazam
filled the stage with interesting sounds.Clearly a very talented band musically, they were unfortunately
underappreciated as the audience capacity was still low at the time they played.
Foxy Shazam playing live @ AC2 in Manchester, U.K. on November 23rd, 2009:
The second performance of the evening was Matt & Kim (QRO
spotlight on), also known by many as
Brooklyn's king and queen of dance-punk.Kim Schifino (QRO interview)
was initially welcomed onto the stage, and unexpectedly began to shake her ass
like Beyoncé Knowles, which got the crowd going.Throughout the performance, synth sounds and interesting
silences between beats filled the room.Schifino's beaming smile persisted through out as she hit hard at the
symbols with delight."Daylight",
from this year's Grand (QRO review), was a particular favorite.
Matt & Kim playing "Jesse Jane" live @ AC2 in Manchester, U.K. on November 23rd, 2009:
After those two amazing acts, along came Sweden's New Wave
outfit, The Sounds (by this time, AC2 was at full capacity).Lead singer Maja Ivarsson dominated the
stage with an eighties disco-pop/punk-rock edge style.The noticeable frontwoman arrived
looking very sophisticated, wearing a Farrah Fawcett-style haircut and
incredibly high black stilettos.Ivarsson proceeded to walk elegantly to the centre of the stage and
unexpectedly spat towards the floor and lit a cigarette.This caused a huge reaction, as smoking
is banned in clubs in the U.K. - the crowd loved it, and after eagerly waiting
for the band, this action instantaneously caused the audience to
misbehave.As Ivarsson was forced to
put out the cigarette, she stated how she hated rules, and the crowd soon had
to be calmed down by security.However, The Sounds encouraged this disobedient behavior.
Throughout the evening, The Sounds played an eclectic blend
of dominant nostalgic eighties disco pop/rock synth sounds.After a mixed bag of tunes, it seemed
that "Beatbox" was a particular favorite.The Sounds gelled particularly well with the crowd that intimate
evening.An especially intimate
song was "Night After Night", as it was surprisingly different in style to the
previous pieces that night.As
Ivarsson softly sang its emotive lyrics, the audience waved flames from their
cigarette lighters and joined in as the gentle piano notes played softly in the
background.
The Sounds playing live @ AC2 in Manchester, U.K. on November 23rd, 2009:
Eric Sean Nally is a front man that certainly stands out
above the rest.
occasions that all he wanted for Christmas was
love and a present!
The second performance of the evening was Matt & Kim (
walk elegantly to the centre of the stage and
unexpectedly spat towards the floor and lit a cigarette.
clubs in the U.K. - the crowd loved it, and after eagerly waiting
for the band, this action instantaneously caused the audience to
misbehave.
synth sounds.
that intimate
evening.
This year’s winner of Canada’s prestigious Polaris Music Prize, Patrick Watson’s Close To Paradise is an orchestral thing of beauty. 
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