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LIVE REVIEW: Wet Leg, English Teach & THEATRE @ Castlefield Bowl, Manchester
- BOOT
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
We couldn't think of a better way to spend one of the hottest evenings of the year than sampling three of the most exciting UK performers while lapping up the summer sunshine. Well, this is exactly what we were treated to at Manchester's Castlefield Bowl this week as Wet Leg, English Teacher and THEATRE took to the stage in the blistering heat.
The natural amphitheatre of Castlefield Bowl immediately brings a cinematic quality to any show, so it was apt for the fiery newcomers THEATRE to kick off the show. Layers of dense Grunge guitars washed over the quickly growing crowd while vocalist Maeve O'Shea belted out dramatic expressions with her head pointed high towards the sky. It was bold, dramatic, and everything you would want and more from a band with such a
English Teacher then brought a completely different energy to the stage with their blend of punchy Post-Punk and abstract, lucid artistry. The opening double act of 'The World's Biggest Paving Slab' and 'I'm Not Crying, You're Crying' felt like an in-your-face announcement that they are back after a while away. However, the highlights of the set came in the more mellow moments as lead singer Lily Fontaine's vocals intertwined with intricate grooves and cascading piano notes in front of the backdrop of a Manchester sunset....pure bliss.
Wet Leg then took to the stage as the bowl became full to the brim! In similar style to English Teacher, Wet Leg came out fighting, and in more ways than one. The razorsharp opening of 'Catch These Fits' set the tone for the evening as Rhian Teasdale stared down each member of the audience with a playful ferocity.
That feeling encapsulates their latest album really, it's bold, weird and no-nonsense in many places with the whole band seeming to have taken on gritty angst-ridden personas. However, there's always moments for more playful sounds with 'davina mccall' and some wonderfully beautiful love songs like 'pillow talk' and 'you and me at home'. The latter of the two was our personal highlight of the evening as the whole crowd joined in to belt out the heartwarming melody.
The final four songs really showed what the band are all about. 'Angelica', 'Chaise Lounge', 'CPR' and 'mangetout' came blaring out of the speakers at full force with plenty of crazy solo moments from Joshua Omead Mobaraki. The fact that they are now able to confidently end there set with two tracks from their sophomore album and avoid being stuck finshing with their breakthrough single 'Chaise Lounge' is a testament to the quality of their second record 'moisturizer'.
On an evening that needed anything but more heat, we got three fiery sets in the perfect summer setting!
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