Sunday 16/07/06 The Motorettes, Kubichek!, Air Traffic @ Night and Day, Manchester

Opening into with jaunty piano led rhythms, Air Traffic drift into a more melodic Keane-like territory. Propositioning the crowd with cocky chat up lines like ‘your face my place’, they throw out catchy pop hooks by the dozen. Sitting on a kit box lends the singer a vulnerable air with the fragile piano chords of ‘I Can’t Understand’ sounding almost ready to break. Mixing Cure like vocals with quirky rhythms they at times show a world-weariness despite their young years. ‘Shooting Star’ is their most outstanding song mixing big orchestral sounds with pounding drums that spiral off into the distance. Current single ‘Just Abuse Me’ jazz pianos have a cynical, off-kilter vibe that hints at something interesting going on beneath the surface.

Kubichek! singer Alan has all the strut and swagger of a youthful Mick Jagger as they jump straight onto stage into ‘Roman Is Better’. The jerky basslines tense up until they’re tight enough to snap as they gee the crowd up with ‘Outwards, Yates’. A rousing chant that London bovver boys like The Clash would be proud of runs through ‘Method Acting’ surround by crashing drums. Everyone studiously avoids the scary looking bloke who seems to swing from wrist slitting despair to ecstatic euphoria with each twist of a song. ‘Hope Is Impossible’ has a gentler more affected quality with shimmering guitars overhead then build to a wall of crashing drums.

Moving from soft and emotional to jaded and bitter with the flick of a switch ‘Stutter’ hides a glimmer of hope under the caustic lyrics. Stomping into view ‘Taxi’ sees looks of recognition ripple through the crowd and looking around Gigwise realises the audience is dotted with other frantically scribbling journos and unwieldy cameras. Kubichek are oblivious and continue to spew out the ragged basslines and razor edged vocals of ‘Opening Shot’. The pace slows right down with ‘Start As We Meant To’s dreamy wavering guitars drifting in and out before building to a frantic buzzing roar. By far the their most radio friendly number ‘Nightjoy’ calling everyone to ‘put on your silver shoes’. The band finally starts to relax and enjoy themselves, with drummer ..smiling and playing up to the crowd. This bouncing energy follows through into ‘Hometown Strategies’ drums that sound ready to crash through the stage.

Describing themselves as ‘relentlessly pop’, The Motorettes seem anything but as they storm the stage with the spiky vocals of ‘Superheartbeats’, until the catchy drum beat smooth over the rough edges. Plundering 80’s guitars from the boss mixed with harmonies more akin to the Donnas than the average indie boy group, ‘The Death of Cool’ sees the onslaught begin. ‘I am Blisters I am’ betrays their much touted girl group influences, with choppy delayed vocals that croon ‘I’m so into you, oh yeah’ that slowly builds until everyone of the crowd is drawn in. Claiming to be tired after last nights ‘pre-last night of tour’ antics, which involved street cricket and the fire brigade  The Motorettes seem resolutely energetic. With raspy, slightly metallic harmonies ‘Go! Go! Gadget Girl’ is broken up by Jed's relentlessly crashing drums, that stops it becoming too twee. Tinny toy keyboards chime through the air, joint front men Robin and Jack start to throw themselves into it with ‘Heart Stopping’, dancing around the stage.

The slow shuffling tempo is perfect for shoegazing to, becoming sharper and more punky as they move into ‘Baby Come Home’. Former single ‘You Gotta Look The Parts' loses none of the momentum remaining effortlessly catchy while Jack pounds the bass within an inch of its life. Seeming to borrow more from Nick Cave ‘I’m On Fire’ sees the guitars ricocheting off the bouncy elastic drums. By this time the scary man down the front stays resolutely cheerful and the feeling is infectious. ‘We Are Solution’ has a poppy nostalgic feel surrounded by bouncy, elastic guitars that make it perfect for dancing to. Robin bounces around the stage swinging the guitar and promptly flings himself headlong into the drumkit landing on a happily bemused Jed. Good old fashioned rock and roll is back with a vengeance and it hails from Tynemouth.