Photo:
Despite never having lived up to their critical acclaim, the seasoned purveyors of sing-a-long scouse skiffle, Shack still have their loyal following. The world of the Shack fan is one that has outgrown taste, where suit jackets quite shamelessly meet stonewash jeans and where once healthy heads of hair have been replaced with shiny crowns, but in an endearing way, no one cares.
First up is the current critic’s favourite Jim Noir. Opening with ‘In The Key of C’, a luscious blend of vocal harmonies and Magic Roundabout style psychedelia, the self-effacing Noir and his band recall some of the finest sounds of the sixties. New song 'Standing On The Corner' is an acute commentary on modern life – “The man behind the glass counter he is sound/But if I use my card I have to pay five pounds”. If the Beach Boys had decamped to Manchester some years ago this would have been the likely result.
'Eanie Meany' (recently adopted by Adidas for their current World Cup ad campaign) is typical Noir, opening with the lyric “If you don’t give my football back/I’m gonna get my dad on you.” In a similar manner to I Am Kloot’s Johnny Bramwell, Noir refrains from taking himself or his band too seriously, often belittling his guitar playing skills as he attempts to play ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven’ in between songs while admitting that selling his song to advertising paid for his nice new trainers.
By the time Noir is halfway through his closing track, ‘My Patch’, this audience of hardened Shack fans is won over, as the crowd sing back ‘If you ever step on my patch/I’ll bring you down’. With the pompous back biting going on between many of the UK’s current crop, Noir is like the silent assassin, shooting up the blindside with his understated style in a calculated bid to entrance all with his beautiful melodies. As the summer starts to bloom, Noir’s sun-drenched psychedelia is destined to take a hold.
Headliners Shack are like the Volvo of the music business. Without setting the world alight, they just seem to go on forever, and for what seems incomprehensible to many, they are adored. New track ‘Black & White’ goes down surprisingly well, considering the new album has only just been released. It is the same merseybeat meets Allman Brothers sound that has remained the constant in a turbulent career. Crowd favourite 'Pull Together' gets the place jumping and sets the tone for the evening. With one sing-a-long after another, Shack are greeted with all the enthusiasm of some fifteen year old girls at a Justin Timberlake concert.
Rattling through their merseybeat folk tunes it becomes increasingly evident who The Coral and The Zutons have picked up their baton from. After an up-tempo set featuring new songs ‘Butterfly’, ‘Miles Away’ and ‘Funny Thing’, the scouse revellers finish with a mighty rendition of Comedy, thrilling their devoted following and leaving a smile on every face. It’s no wonder that Noel Gallagher has thrown his weight behind this well-oiled machine.
.jpg)
