Manchester Academy 2 was packed and buzzing well before Goldie Lookin’ Chain hit the stage. When the lights went down, the Newport crew made their entrance in classic fashion, striding out with a bin bag full of beer cans, handing them round and cracking a few open themselves. From that moment the tone was set: this was going to be messy, funny and unforgettable.
Opening with Your Missus Is a Nutter, the room erupted into a full singalong, the atmosphere instantly electric. Pink Wine kept things rolling before the band treated fans to the live debut of Graffiti, met with huge cheers. One of the night’s funniest moments came with Half Man Half Machine, as a man in a cardboard robot costume stomped around the stage to the crowd’s delight.
The set powered on through cult favourites like Older Ladies, I Love Drinking and Lidl, each one raising smiles and pints in equal measure. By the time the band tore into Guns Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do and Ravers, the whole venue felt like a giant karaoke session. Closing with Newport (New York) and the outrageous Your Mother’s Got a Penis, GLC left the Academy floor grinning, sweaty and still shouting choruses into the night.
Goldie Lookin’ Chain might not do slick or serious, but they remain one of the most entertaining live acts around. With beer, banter and a stack of cult anthems, they turned Manchester into their own party and proved exactly why they are still loved two decades on.
WORDS AND PHOTO CREDIT – AARON HILLS
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