Music Vice: Glasvegas headlining the 2009 ShockWaves NME Awards Tour, Manchester Academy, UK

Glasvegas in Manchester, with Florence and The Machine, Friendly Fires
Concert review by Music Vice contributor Elizabeth Darke - February 14, 2009

With yet another sterling line-up, this year’s ShockWaves NME Awards Tour was a resounding success among an abundance of skinny-jeaned Indie fans. There was a big turnout at the Manchester Academy for a tour that has become a regular feature in the British gig calendar early each year.

Kicking off the gig, preceding White Lies, Friendly Fires and Glasvegas was the new princess of Indie, Florence and The Machine. Bounding on stage came a theatrically dressed and extremely excitable Florence who was ready to let rip her quirky beats and eclectic backing band.

Yes, people. Do believe the hype: As she freely chatted between songs and flitted across the stage, Florence energised a somewhat tame Mancunian crowd (it was only 7:30, many a beer still to be drunk).

With fantastic renditions of her singles Kiss With A Fist and Dog Days Are Over, Florence and The Machine were vibrant and mesmerising to watch. Florence and her merry men were clearly having the time of their lives.

Follow the tour calendar for this ensemble - they were a pleasure to witness. Then again, did we expect anything less? Florence and The Machine were awarded the ‘Critic’s Choice 2009’ Brit Award, and rightly so.

Next on stage were London boys, White Lies (arguably sounding like Arcade Fire meets Editors) who gave a seemingly more placid performance. Still going for gold however, White Lies delivered sound renditions of Death and To Lose My Life, which were only to be topped by their first release Unfinished Business in which Florence, still buzzing from here stint on stage, appeared under the lights. She joined White Lies front man, Harry McVeigh, for the conclusion of the song - the term ‘crowd pleaser’ at this point was an under statement.

Finally on the run-up to headliners Glasveags, Friendly Fires, an electro/dance-pop band from St. Albans, graced the spotlights at the Manchester venue. The highlight of the gig, the London based trio completed a lightning set that thrilled the already excited crowd. Thrashing out dance floor favourite On Board, Friendly Fires sent the audience jumping and saw the Mancunian concert hall transform into a raving electro-dance disco. The perfect execution of hits such as Paris and Jump Into The Pool created beats that one couldn’t help but move to.

Comparable to the likes of Foals but oh so much more “dancey”, Friendly Fires created the ultimate party atmosphere. I’m not sure that some of the die-hard Indie kids had ever raved so hard. A little sad to see the Friendly Fires vacate off stage, the crowd then welcomed Scottish alternatives, Glasvegas.

The Glasgow born-and-bred band Glasvegas, notably the most well known act on the tour, did not disappoint. However, I’m not convinced that they were the most satisfactory climax for the evening.

A solid stage presence ensured an overall sound set but some of the softer, slower songs sounded a little lacklustre and dull. The audience wanted a continued high from the energy of Friendly Fires but Glasvegas maybe didn’t quite deliver. Daddy’s Gone and Go Square Go had the audience singing along and throwing appropriate dance moves, yet it appeared that aside from the groupies who hugged the stage, much of the audience were wanting more of a party.