Another rainy evening in Manchester and the sight of The Ritz’s warm glow was welcoming after a dramatically windswept walk down Oxford Road. There was a buzz about the place and even though it was relatively early, many fans were waiting outside already, and eager to escape the chill.
This evening’s entertainment was to be provided by Tom Meighan, the former Kasabian frontman who, after a turbulent few years has made a comeback onto the scene, and it seems to be going fairly well considering the amount of folk packed into the venue this evening. Many fans seem to be in the festive spirit, no doubt cramming one last gig in before Santa makes an appearance.
The support came from Fife rockers The Shambolics, who only a few months ago headlined our very own Night and Day cafe. These guys are veterans of the scene now and proper grafters, having been slogging it out for over ten years and are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Some fans are clearly here especially to see the Shams relatively short set, but none the less they know how to work an audience. I highly recommend seeing them at The Deaf Institute in April as they are picking up quite a following south of the border.
Their music is catchy, with elements of early Blur, teamed with some Smiths inspired guitar play, these guys certainly mix up the genres to create a fairly unique sound which has evolved since I first met them 12 years ago in a little backstreet pub in Kirkcaldy. They are the perfect warm up for the main event, and the crowd are suitably ready for Mr Meighan.
Whatever your thoughts are on Meighan, he is a born frontman. Boundless energy, knowing exactly how to work a crowd, many of whom are in quite a frenzy at his arrival on stage. Now surrounded by his own backing band, Meighan is very much centre of attention and loving every minute. He remains humble, thanking fans between songs repeatedly, and expressing his love for the city.
Dressed like a typical rock and roll star in sunglasses and a garish shirt, and with a swagger a Gallagher brother would be proud of, Meighan performed songs from his latest album and of course older material, including some Kasabian tracks ‘Where Did All the Love Go’ and ‘of the anthemic ‘Fire’. Fans were eager to hear newer material which was well received from his forthcoming album ‘Roadrunner’ which is already garnering a lot of excitement amongst fans.
Meighan has had a difficult few months with some of his tour dates marred by a nasty illness, but this evening he was on top form leaving revellers on a high as they left the venue, many I imagine continuing the festivities late into the night. This solo career is evolving away from the Kasabian days, with Meighan tentatively finding his own path. He certainly has the charm and charisma to go it alone, so with the forthcoming album on the horizon, Meighan’s future is looking bright.
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