LIVE REVIEW: Man/Woman/Chainsaw @ O2 Academy, Liverpool

On Friday night, the Liverpool's O2 Academy saw Man/Woman/Chainsaw supported by Little Grandad. This event is probably best described as the inside of the weird kid's orchestra practice room. There were instruments scattered around the stage, a couple of the performers had made it into suits but most of them were in stripy tights and graphic tshirts, and the music was an experimental mixing pot of everything from David Bryne to Fat White Family. And it was brilliant. 

Little Grandad, a windmill discovery, opens the evening. They have an alt-country twinge that weaves it's way through the trumpet and guitar. They're a mixture of Bob Dylan and Squid, equal parts folk and art-punk. 

They leave an appropriate clutter of orchestra-like debris on the stage for the arrival of Man/Woman/Chainsaw, which is heralded by 50 Cents ‘In The Club’. This is whitty, and chaotic, and sets the tone beautifully for the rest of the night. 

Photo Credit: Pooneh Ghana

'The Boss', a song off of their only EP, is what's chosen first, a gritty, guitar led tune about declining relationships. It tears itself apart with heavy use of distortion which fights with clattering drums and screamed, wonderfully poetic lyrics. For a group of people who cannot possibly be older than 25, they seem to have lived a million lives. 

'Adam and Steve', one of their latest singles, follows which is perhaps drawn from more intimate experiences. It is a tangled queer experience, made up of the glances across the room to the kid with equally patchy hair dye, and the late nights spent watching music videos way past your bedtime. It, again, is a song on the verge of collapse; is it a whirlwind violin and a taught vocal that wobble on the tightrope of musical scorelines. 

Despite their popularity, they don't have all that much music out, and the middle of their set consists of a slew of unreleased songs. These feel weirdly familiar though, with their eery harmonies and waltzing time signatures. Man/Woman/Chainsaw draw clear inspiration from the likes of The Fall and BCNR but have carved out their own, already incredibly distinctive, sound. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDF0FlhUjmhkQ&v=F0FlhUjmhkQ

This is no better exemplified than by their final songs, ‘What Lucy Found There’ and ‘Ode To Clio’. The former is a frenzied guitar that runs underneath a duet. 

The latter, ‘Ode To Clio’, is a beautiful song of love? Loss? I don't think it matters and I don't think they care. It is the pinnacle of a lovers argument, where fury turns to utter defeat, when the walls come down and the sun starts to rise in the background. It is their final goodbye to an audience that have spent the night captive to their haunting melodies. 

With the final bars still ringing, they shuffle off of the side of the stage, instruments dragged behind them. There's a half-attempt at a “happy friday” as the lights are turned on all too soon, but that's only to be expected, they probably have orchestra practice to get to.