Gig Review: Guillemots

Mar 17 2008 by Katie Campling, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

ARTIST: Guillemots.

VENUE: Manchester Ritz

DATE: March 9 2008

REVIEW BY: Tom Bailey

2006 was a fruitful year for Guillemots – it saw their debut ‘Through The Windowpane’ earn them a Mercury Music Prize nomination and supports slots with established acts such as Snow Patrol.

By comparison, 2007 was a much quieter year for the London quarter – but now, armed with new album ‘Red’ due for release in a few weeks time, they are back to prove they still have it in them to rustle a few feathers.

Tonight, the first of three comeback gigs prior to ‘Red’s release, was always going to be a risky one. It’s credit to Guillemots that, despite not having quite cracked the mainstream or heavily advertised tonight’s gig, the mid-sized Ritz is sold out. As the band took to the stage, launching into new song ‘Kriss Kross’, any nerves seemed to be left offstage or at least very well hidden. With ‘Made Up Lovesong #43” soon following, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they hadn’t been away. Granted there are a few first night problems, with frontman Fyfe Dangerfield feeling the need to apologise after the band messed up the intro to newie “Standing On The Last Star”, but fortunately these minor hiccups came few and far between.

Although new tracks ‘Big Dog’ and ‘Words’ did enough impress, it’s not until mid set when the band began to shine. Whether it’s the unapologetic pop of ‘Get Over It’ and ‘Annie, Let’s Not Wait’, the more-sombre musings of ‘We’re Home’, the sophistication of ‘Trains To Brazil’ or the grandiose Latin madness of closer ‘Sao Paolo’, watching Guillemots is just plain fun.

Whereas most of their contemporaries have matured – and as a consequence sacrificed the very elements that made them so exciting in the first place – it is refreshing to see that Guillemots have stayed true to their almost carefree onstage persona.

Forgot any pretensions, this band is here to make music and more importantly have a good time playing it.

As the encore of ‘Redwings’ reached its climax, if there’s one thing clear it’s that Guillemots may not have achieved the success they deserve just yet but on the strength of tonight’s outing it is well within their grasp.