Thursday 06/02/03 Psychid @ Night & Day, Manchester

I was chomping at the bit when I heard that newly signed Oxford boys Psychid were coming to Manchester. Being a bit of a Radiohead junkie, I was more than impressed to hear that the band had supported Thom Yorke and his merry men before a 40,000 mass, not to mention the numerous comparisons.

It took a while to tune in to the sound however, which at first appeared quite inaccessible. It began to grow on me though and by the third song 'Everything She Is', I was well and truly plugged in. The vocals were shared and at times beautifully interwoven with the strikingly contrasting voices of Henry Morton and Tom Havelock.

Things were really hotting up with 'Split Lip Sucker' combining a seductive blend of hypnotic beats layered with a snake-like coiling melody and loaded gun lyrics. 'Radio' was the most polished and catchy of the set. So much so that I may need it surgically removing from my head, which can be no bad thing given that it's the debut single.

Quirky little number 'Field Day' brought the set to a close on a definite high with a sound that simply crackled with foreboding electricity, flecked with David Bowie.

Psychid is actually a rare breed of moth but this did nothing to remove the thought that the word evoked of a strange, genius and slightly psychotic child. And in fact I prefer that definition because it describes Psychid's sound perfectly; weird, unique, wonderful, imaginative and a maturity that belies its youthful appearance.

Psychid are currently in the middle of a tour that takes them pretty much everywhere this month, coinciding with the release of their debut single. My advice is to catch them while you can. A word of warning though, you'll need a big net.

Photo by Emma Baker :: emma@gigwise.com