The Killers, The Futureheads, Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs

It may be that you read the reviews on these pages and consider the author of every one of them to be talking from their collective hats. That's fair enough, but even if that is the case you must take these following words as absolute gospel. Never, ever, visit an 'all you can eat' buffet within a couple of hours of the night kicking off. That bloated feeling is not conducive to your enjoyment of the evening.

So I wobbled down to the Academy as the annual NME 4-band roadshow came to Manchester, selling out two nights in double quick time, and it was the Kaiser Chiefs who would be following in the footsteps of Franz Ferdinand and open the night at 7:20 - even though the tickets stated doors at 7:30.

Those that weren't fooled caught a cracking set from the Leeds boys, Ricky Wilson full of Damon Albarn kicks and the tunes full of Britpop influences. 'I Predict a Riot' is a song to enthuse even the most cynical audience and is, as predicted, a riot. Although, in more ways than one, I personally found it a gas.

Bloc Party were a disappointment, their spartan guitars and forced vocals lacking the vital element of melody. But I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for 3 reasons:-
1. 'Helicopter' and new single 'So Here We Are' were the most familiar and better tunes, so perhaps they are all growers
2. Kele Okereke's voice reminded me of someone I couldn't place and it annoyed me throughout the set, and;
3. The stomach cramps were particularly harsh during their set so considering them a poor man's The Rapture was possibly down to general grumpiness.

The Futureheads were like a musical Rennie though. Sounding umpteen times better than they do recorded, their 3-minute neo-punk pop songs are choc full of tune and humour - quite a contrast to Bloc Party - and they can work the audience with Mackem character. During 'Hounds of Love' they even divide the crowd pantomime style and persuaded the normally too-cool-for-school Manchester crowd to join in with gusto.

And so to the main event - The Killers. They had no need to patter the throng - they were putty in their hands from the opening note of 'Jenny Was a Friend of Mine' and they sang 'Mr Brightside' and 'Somebody Told Me' word for word. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci is the star of the show, looking particularly dapper in his orange shirt & tie and de rigueur dark suit and occupying a seating position so high up he plays his drums like Peter Hook plays his bass.

As The Killers end, there is something quite life-affirming about singing 'It's Indie Rock & Roll for me' as never a truer word was spoken, even if tonight I didn't really have the stomach for it.

FUTURE GIGS