The warm neon lights from Manchester’s Blues Kitchen were a welcoming sight as I trudged through the puddles and drizzle of the city centre. The cold and rain could not deter me from tonight, an evening I had been looking forward to for a good few months. The band, introduced to me by my much more musically aware friend have been a firm fixture on my playlist ever since. The band in question, Lords of the Underground.
I have never attended a gig at the Blues Kitchen concert hall, having dined in the bar below, I was intrigued having heard nothing but praise for the venue, located on floor up from the bar. The ambiance was unreal, dimly lit, with beautiful decor, the forty minute wait for the band (I needed a decent spot to try get some shots) was a breeze as we were kept entertained by a DJ playing some eclectic hip-hop.
The band took to the stage in a chaotic fashion, clearly chuffed to be in Manchester, their camaraderie was exceptional, humour and very talented performers. I am not well versed in hip-hop but after tonight this will not be my last gig, having spent an evening mesmerised by these guys.
Having done some brief research into the band it transpires that they are very popular in Manchester. The room seemed a little empty, but most fans turned up fashionably late just before 9pm and the room was jam packed by the time the band bounced onto the stage.
There was a lot of fun on stage, funk and soul mixed in withe complex melodies and lyrics, sharp observational humour in-between sets, feeding off the excitement of the crowd. The pin-sharp delivery of lyrics was a joy to behold and it is one gig that has made me want to immediately know more. I was completely blown away by the whole package, not often I can say that about a band I knew very little about before this evening. I will certainly be up for a second shout of this trio, and in the mean time, watching some more live stuff on YouTube to get my LOTU fix!
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