Saturday 18/03/06 The Whip, Fear Of Music, Cherry Ghost @ Roman Catholic Cathedral, Liverpool

Tonight Gigwise leaves it’s usual home of the toilet venues of the UK’s touring circuit for the vaulted hallways of the crypt of Liverpool’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, otherwise affectionately known as the Wigwam. And we must say we like it. A daring choice of location from tonight’s promoters, the On Radar team, provides for a brilliant alternative to the grotty, characterless back street dens we’re used to.

First up we’d like to apologise to Ecuador, the first band on tonight’s bill. Due to the failings of a certain loca bus company Gigwise unfortunately misses their set. Anyway, we manage to get there just in time for the start of Mancunian’s Cherry Ghost. Only we notice that Simon Aldred is a couple light on his backing band. His drummer is nowhere to be seen and his keyboardist has apparently been forced to stay at home by his girlfriend. The lack of personnel leaves Cherry Ghost wanting somewhat with the usual sweeping movements of atmospheric country tinged acoustics getting lost in the vastness of the flying buttresses and archways of the cathedrals foundations. Aldred does his darnest with a performance of heartfelt emotion but tonight he leaves with a round of warm appreciation rather ecstatic overtures from the crowd.

Next up the terminably young (most of them look barely older than fifteen) Fear Of Music, Sony’s bright young things, fair much better. For one they’re all here. Pitching themselves on literally Brian Molko’s doorstep, right down to front man Joe Rose’s vocals, they take Placebo’s wiry guitar blue print, tweak it a bit with some superb jangly melodies and more angular moments, and produce a set bands a decade older than them could only dream of. Tracks such as ‘Skin And Bones’ are huge, literally shaking the foundations of this house of god. At this point we must bring to your attention the bands bassist, Ali Esmail, who looks like he’s on day release from Strangeways but is quite possibly one the best young four string players Gigwise has seen in a long time. Sometimes you see something special and you know straightaway, tonight is one of those moments. Fear Of Music have the world at their feet.

Following the young upstarts with some intrepidation are The Whip, who are also two men down - maybe they’re all atheists? The rhythm section is gone but the main protagonists of Bruce Carter and Danny Saville are here. Now, if they had been conceived in 1980 The Whip could have usurped New Order and been amongst the doyen of Manchester bands. Unfortunately its 2006 and now their sound draws a whole host of reviews citing them as derivative of Hooky and co. This is true but on tonight’s showing it seems harsh to dismiss them that easily. Their series of pulsating, theatrical electro-pop numbers sit perfectly against the furious rock of Fear Of Music and acoustica of Cherry Ghost, providing a rounded eclectic bill. Last single ‘Frustration’ weaves round a mid 80s synth melody, a dark sonic landscape that reverberates off the cold stone of the crypt with Carter lamenting Bernard Sumner like “It’s cold outside”. Without ever really blowing us away The Whip manage to give us an incite in to a possible bright future.