Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Sometimes you just have to applaud the demeanour of a band that has just sweated copious amounts of sweat in the name of the cause. That sweat, almost pouring with the same majestic force as the water that tumbles over Niagara Falls after a torrent of rain has swelled the mighty beast to bursting point, comes ready packaged as part of Boston Manor’s short but high spirited and highly energetic set at the Fury Fest at the East Village Arts Centre.
Saturday afternoons were made for many things, some so engrained into the national psyche that to tear yourself away from them is at times to question your identity, others embracing the beige so hard that the dullness stains even the most colourful of people. However watching well performed music in the afternoon is a pleasure that should not be contained to the outdoor festival or delayed until darkness struggles over the horizon; if the opportunity is there then it should be grabbed, where-else might the opportunity come from to see a band such as Boston Manor next arise.
The short but wonderfully volatile set was kicked off with the song Saltwater, a song so well versed in its own ability to quake and cajole even the most hardened of cynics that it carries letters of introduction and a firm enthusiastic handshake before it. To not take that hand is to be rude, it is to spit in the eye of music convention and it is a song that would take great objection to not being treated with respect.
With Dirty Kitchens, Shade, Wolf, Driftwood, Hear Now and the tremendous Peach State all stating their intent within the set and with the band’s energy flowing with constant abundance throughout, that letter of introduction was handled with care and attention. Such is the consideration given to a group that knows just how to get on the right side of an audience, even if the heart of the crowd cannot keep pace for long, their minds certainly keep the movement in awe.
Inspiring stuff from a band who don’t know how to break stride!
Ian D. Hall