Artist: Middleman

Venue: Bar 1:22

Review by: Andy Duckworth

BAR 1:22 is just a stone’s throw away from the University campus and, with it being a Friday night, the place is bustling with anticipation for a group who have to be serious contenders for Britain’s bounciest band.

Leeds-based Middleman have spent the better part of a decade touring, developing a reputation as live crowd pleasers. Mixing lively, upbeat and dangerously catchy songs, hilarious on-stage banter and good, old-fashioned stage-presence, they have now become a band on the cusp of much greater things and, with the release of their debut album due on May 1st, tonight’s show is an opportunity to hear some eagerly anticipated new material.

With excellent support provided by One Stop Railway, Naked and PaperPlane the crowd are in the mood to dance when Middleman take to the stage. As the boys are getting ready vocalist, Andy Craven-Griffiths, announces that they’re doing pretty well as a few of their tunes have made it into TV ads, putting them only a hundred or so short of Mumford and Sons’ tally adding, with a grin, “They’d better watch their backs”.

With that they launch into their last single, Chipping Away, and the audience are instantly compelled to start moving. Next up comes relative oldie, You Look Like You Do, which contains one of the most beguilingly fantastic bass-lines in existence.

Their set crackles with Middleman’s own characteristic pop-hop brilliance. Upcoming single, Spinning Plates, provides some reflective moments, whilst new numbers like Adrenaline get the crowd jumping till the floorboards creek.

They end the show with Can’t Hold Me Down to roars of applause and beaming smiles, running off to hand out free CDs and shake hands. Rarely does a band come along with such humility who possess such obvious talent and I sincerely hope that they are awarded the recognition that they deserve – soon.