Friday night and another legendary band arrives in Manchester to play (indoors this time after two consecutive rainy evenings down at Castlefield Bowl!). Garbage were on fine form, playing to a very busy Manchester Apollo, which is fast becoming one of my favoured venues, and lets be honest we are spoilt for choice round here.
The audience had certainly made an effort with their outfits, feather boas and animal print, sequinned tops and feathers, all in tribute to one very fashion conscious Shirley Manson who’s attire did not disappoint this evening. Arriving on stage after the band, Manson was wearing a striking metallic dress, like a walking art installation looked every inch a rock icon and immediately kicked off the evening with no chit chat, straight down to business.
Manson’s voice is as iconic as her wardrobe collection, with a powerful vocal range that delivers every line with gusto and that don’t fuck with me attitude that draws huge cheers from the audience. The set list saw the band play classic Garbage hits including ‘Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!), ‘Bleed Like Me’ and a Siouxsie and the Banshees cover of ‘Cities in Dust’.
Garbage, as much of their image is Manson, you can’t not mention the rest of the band who give the band their unique sound, with Duke Erikson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig completing the the post-grunge/electro pop sound – as the band are difficult to pigeonhole into one genre, and I imagine that is just how they like it.
The evening came to a dramatic conclusion with an encore of ‘Milk’ and of course arguably one of their most famous tracks ‘Only Happy When it Rains’. And just like that, the band are leaving the stage and in a huge anti climax, the crowds descend out into the balmy Manchester night, no doubt hugely empowered after that iconic performance, a word that has been a focal point of this review, but one that can undoubtably be linked to this band who continue to make an impression on fans old and new.
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