The Joy Formidable @ Manchester Academy
Some bands are phenomenal live; only one band are a live phenomenon. The Joy Formidable are a cut above anyone else out there. Ask any of the 800 people who rammed into Manchester Academy Saturday, the atmosphere was white hot in anticipation. They are fast becoming the worst kept secret in the industry. Gazing around, I was pleased to see all the familiar faces in the crowd. The whole of the crew that have dutifully followed the band since the early days – like myself – continue to spend a fortune travelling from gig to gig. The bigger the challenge and the bigger the stage, the bigger the sound emanated by this trio.
Opening with ‘Abacus’, they seemed really pumped and on a high from the previous night at The Forum in London. Rhydian was noticeably more ferocious, gesturing and working the stage to full effect. They need not of worried, as Manchester was more than willing and able to deliver back, hanging on every line and beat of the drum.
The whole evening was like an adrenaline rush. The crowd could barely draw a breath as the band tore through ‘Magnifying Glass’, ‘Austere’, and ‘Ostrich’. The mosh pit became an ever-increasing circle of sweaty, thrashing bodies, as the set’s intensity washed over the expectant masses. Indeed, I’m sure the lull at the start of ‘Greatest Light’ was a welcome respite, both for the band and the crowd. This song has the power to induce an hypnotic, trance-like state over vast numbers of the audience; it’s the Derren Brown of music.
The respite was short-lived, as ‘Cradle’ and ‘Bouy’ ensured a front row frenzy ensued – much to the delight of Ritzy and Rhydian, who cajoled & encouraged the frequent crowd surfers passing over the barriers.
What came next was the highlight of my gigging year. I thought the band had put’ While The Flies’ to bed in the live arena. If ever a song was going to shake me from my self-imposed exile from the mosh pit, this was it. I found myself amongst the throng, pushing & shoving & bouncing in a good natured fashion till my limbs gave way under the sheer pressure of a surging crowd.
From it’s original 3:35 incarnation, set closer ‘Whirring’ has developed into a beast of a live track, with the added strings provided by harpist Joy Smith. The crowd needed no encouragement to reach fever pitch as Ritzy commented that Manchester is ‘rowdy in a good way’. Building into at least a three minute outro, this is guitar rock at its very best. There is little wonder that the band are heading back out to the states to support the Foo Fighters. Again, I was left dumbfounded at Matt’s energy and ability to hit the skins that hard throughout.
The encore opened with ‘Greyhound in the Slips’, a live favourite that gave way to yet another highlight, as they completely smashed ‘The Ever Changing Spectrum Of A Lie’, and left Manchester as hot and breathless as the participants in the alternative fans video of ‘Austere’. The Joy Formidable are more than just another guitar rock band; they are an enigma. I’m proud to have followed them from humble support slots and hope that their rise continues unabated!
http://www.thejoyformidable.com/
For once I had to shoot my own pics, so apologies if they are not up to the usual BIYL standard!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Recent Talk