For anyone who’s set in the notion that music was better 50 years ago: play them Man/Woman/Chainsaw. Better still, take them to a Man/Woman/Chainsaw gig. And at The Globe in Cardiff, the six-piece proved why.
It’s been an undoubtedly relentless year for the band. Between signing to a label, recording and releasing their debut album and slotting in various gigs and festival appearances, they decided it wasn’t enough, spending the best part of a month fulfilling their own headline tour. And the demand is there, completely selling out every venue and even announcing another tour for next year.
For those of us lucky enough to nab a ticket the first time around, a masterclass of everything that’s become signature to Man/Woman/Chainsaw ensues. The sporadic energy born from the band’s excitement amid play, instruments entering synchronicity, and the glossy melodic abilities they work from: it’s all on display in a 15-song set.
Whilst moving onto bigger venues on their next tour, a smaller yet more intimate venue such as The Globe felt like the perfect place to see the band. In proximity, they could bounce off the reaction of the crowd, something which visibly shifts the gig’s momentum. This feels inevitable the very second they walk on stage and crash into the soaring yet symphonic ‘Only Girl.’
From here, they lead us down the various genre-bending paths of their discography. Some songs throw us straight in. Take ‘The Thing’ or ‘Goddamn, Lizard Man!’ whose earthy tones of distortion hit you at once. Then compare them to, say, ‘Ode To Clio’ or ‘Still Angry’, where a decent into chaos builds with us with each verse. It’s these things that make the band so great in the first place that really grip the crowd and lay out the unpredictable manifesto of a band who shouldn’t be this good this early on in their career.
Worth noting is also the capabilities of each member as individuals. Despite the stage being slightly overcrowded, each personality shines through as the night continues. Take, for example, Clio Starwood’s infectious energy, dancing with glee between moments where she coats each song with a violin. Or even guitarist Billy Doyle’s more reserved demeanour getting cut through by his play ofguitar. Within seconds, you can gauge what the band is all about, collectively and individually.
It’s an impressive feat to have a crowd hanging onto every note and lyric, but it’s something Man/Woman/Chainsaw did with immense ease. The band is offering so much on stage, both musically and within their play, that it feels impossible to not be hooked. And this is only the start.
