The Young Knives - Liverpool Academy Live Review

The Young Knives
Support from Fortune Drive and The Grates
Liverpool Academy
27/10/2006
Live Review

Ranging instrumental strolls and gritty, but soulful and folk spiked vocals punctuate the Bristol outfit, Fortune Drive's set. The way the polished piano kick collides with the rustic blues vocals of Bobby Anderson and thrusting percussion of Mark Bent, provides for a delectable meeting of contrast. This element, along with false endings and cohesive build-ups, makes for an apt advert to their forthcoming dates with Idlewild. The rumbling 70s rock howl of 'My Girlfriend's An Arsonist' is fired out with heated gusto, turning heads at the bar and drawing people closer. Fortune Drive, are a band who maybe suffer a little for their variety, as it is a sound and an approach that will certainly grow upon you.

The leading lady of Australian trio The Grates, Patience Hodgson grabs life by the scruff of the neck and dances playfully with it. Clad in angelic get-up, she springs into action for a The Kills style yelping bound along, 'Trampoline'. Animated stage antics are complemented by focused musical flanking in the form of the heavy bass drum utilising Alan Skyring, as well as the spiralling guitars of John Patterson. Patience sings to each member of the crowd in between her buoyant gyration, spending the between song intervals playfully pointing out the peccadilloes of buzzing crowd members. With the release of debut album, 'Gravity Won't Get High' having been put back more times than the date of Tony Blair's departure, this is the first opportunity for people to see the colourful antipodeans and be familiar with the set. '19-20-20' provides a buoyant atmosphere and is catchy disco for a Friday night, with the sauntering single of 'Science Is Golden' oozing enthusiasm and spirit. It is left to the punchy disco merging with new wave spark of 'Inside Outside', to ensure that The Grates are bathed in applause upon their exit.

Not long after the bluesy intro to opener 'Part Timer', (that also opens their recent album 'Voices of Animals and Men') The Young Knives trio, strikes you as a beefed up version The Futureheads. A pouncing, repeated chorus shakes up a packed venue and lead singer Henry Dartnall flanked by bassist, House Of Lords (aka Thomas Dartnall) get into their snapping stride. B-sides pad out the album tracks and display a more experiment side to the outfit, as 'Guess The Baby's Weight' draws out a lighter guitar and bass edge. The cock and strut of 'Here Comes The Rumour Mill' is well appreciated in the steaming pit. Whereas, the punk spiked 'Kramer Versus Kramer' is probably the thrust that this set needs, as it is starting to take a languid turn. The Young Knives do enough to keep the attention throughout, but you just wonder if an occasional keyboard element will help to keep the sound fresh, as they do steer a careful and well trodden, indie/garage path at times.

Rating 7/10

David Adair