Pentatonic presents: Pink Shirts for Pale People at Night People, Manchester, Friday 1st October 2021

 It’s a freezing cold Manchester. The walk from Oxford Road station to our destination venue of Night People luckily wasn’t too far. It’s a busy Friday night, which after all the recent lockdowns of the past year or so is a very welcome sight.  I love Manchester with its vibrant city feel and its architecture.  The setting for tonight is nestled among the early 1900s art nouveau buildings, its own facade an impressive one of the same period.  

Of course, Manchester has a vast and legendary musical history too.  The arts and creativity is its lifeblood.  It always feels in city centre Manchester a sense of real ‘cool’, ‘it’s happening’ here. It knows its own identity and it’s become renowned the world over for its diverse, rich and northern musical genres.  I mean who can forget ‘Madchester’ as just one example. Some of the most unique and stand out musicians have emerged from this once hard and industrial (but now culturally diverse and vibrant) city. 

Tonight’s venue is Night People, aptly named after the piece by John Cooper Clarke, one such legendary Mancunian creative, and a huge inspiration to me personally. “Like treacle, tacky but sweet, Night people, funky but neat” (excerpt from Night People by John Cooper Clarke).  This is a great venue for live music.  We go down narrow flights of stairs into the basement. It has a real industrial feel, punctuated with psychedelic accents.  It’s a total contrast to its Edwardian exterior!  Dark and atmospheric, it’s a real up-close and intimate venue for live music lovers. 

Tonight’s is a great lineup and one we’ve been looking forward to. I’ve previously been wowed by tonight’s headliners, Pink Shirts for Pale People, and tonight’s support acts are stellar too, often headlining events themselves: Muddy Elephant, Rivver and Corvus and the Morning Star. 

Sadly we missed the opening support, Corvus and the Morning Star, but from chatting to people who had seen them the feedback was very good. 

2nd support 

Rivver 

Matty Barber-vocals/guitar 

James Snow-bass

Danny Harrison-lead guitar 

Tim Glynn-drums 

Rivver_Night people_Manchester_Warren Millar

What can I say about Rivver?  I LOVE these guys!!  A 4-piece band from Wigan, formed in 2019, these lads are real indie rockers and a force to be reckoned with, and they hold no bars. Strong guitars, catchy tunes, almost tropical feeling at times with powerful bass lines and exceptional vocals. The guys are so much fun on stage (as well as off stage, I might add), cracking jokes between songs and teasing each other, lots of laughter. It’s a lovely, laid-back attitude, but once playing…bang…and they’re off.  It’s toe tapping, it’s funky, you can’t stay still, it’s infectious. As each song builds it’s like we’ve been transported to some musical beach paradise with banter-filled interludes! Matty’s (Barber’s) voice is incredible.  It’s strong, it’s powerful, it’s loud; smooth and velvety and full of confidence. His cheeky-chappie persona of leaning on the mic stand, saluting at the crowd and ‘air drumming’ go down very well. These guys are likeable, we identify with them, and boy, can they play!!  “Smile back ‘has a real upbeat tempo, It’s joyful, it’s about the confidence that being in a band brings you, and how there’s a change, a difference in being on and off stage. This is one loud, thumping, go-getting performance, full of energy; it’s striking. Huge songs like ‘Elena‘ and ‘Tap dancing Girl’ are flawlessly executed and the time runs away. Rivver totally smashed it, leaving a huge impression on this Manchester venue. Their sound is different, it’s catchy, it’s fun and it’s LOUD, combining clever guitars, superb drumming and catchy lyrics with very strong vocals. Excellent job boys!! 

Setlist:

Blue Lagoon, Elena, Echo, Fever,  All day and all night – cover, Smile back. Simple Highs, Tap-Dancing

3rd support Muddy Elephant 

 Sam Passey-vocals/guitar

 Matt Webster-bass/backing vocals 

Carlos Jones-lead guitar 

Andy Happer-drums/backing vocals

Muddy Elephant_Night people_Manchester_Warren Millar

Muddy Elephant are up next and we’ve a real treat in store here!  A 4-piece Chester based band, Muddy Elephant have that real early 1990s indie glam, pop/rock feel, that androgynous art pop, ‘something really different’ feel.  Simply put; they’re cool as fuck!   It’s another high energy performance from the off and this doesn’t falter throughout the entire set. It’s slick, it’s stylish, it’s glamorous, and as an audience, we’re addicted to these almost dreamlike sounds. This band are totally fascinating and hold our full and unwavering attention! Sam ((Passey) and Matt (Webster) explained that as a band they have a wide range of influences, this shows in their music. The songs are very diverse, punchy, and individual and Sam’s (Passey’s) vocals are effortless and very effective.

One such song, which has a real impact, is ‘Tusk’, it’s a desperate plea to save the elephant, a cry out against the illegal ivory trade. It’s a catchy, mesmerising song with an ethical message. The lyrics are plainly put, but convey this vital message…” saviour or abhorrent’, then the unforgettable chorus of  ‘something horrible is going on, in a distant part of the world’. Sam (Passey) as a frontman is pure entertainment, he holds the crowd exceptionally, and he bounces back and forth from the mic, swinging his guitar with real showmanship. There’s a real reminiscent feeling to this set, but at the same time, it’s refreshingly new and current. The different styles and genres cleverly blended make for an inspirational performance, it’s captivating, almost hypnotic… This was one super cool, glamtastic, very sleek, effortless set!  Excellent songwriting, perfectly executed with real conscience behind it.  We are definitely left with that feeling that we just witnessed something very special.

Setlist:

Killer Bee, Cucumbers, Alice, When in Rome, Song 2 (Blur cover), Tusk, Helter Skelter

Headliner:

Pink Shirts For Pale People 

Will Hughes-vocals/guitar 

Frankie Stokes-drums 

Jimmy Brisco-bass 

Ben Pye-lead guitar

Pink Shirts For Pale People_Night people_Manchester_Warren Millar

We’ve been excited about this…..4 piece Wigan/Newton le Willows based band.  These guys do impressive things. Formed in 2017 this indie pop/electro/synth band have a unique and very smooth, light sound.  Will’s (Hughes’} vocals range from haunting and atmospheric, which gives a totally different dimension to the electro sound, then changes to a high, light and vibrant tone. There’s a very 1980s new wave/electro undertone to their sound, but with the addition of strong guitars and beats. It’s crisp, modern, it feels brand new. PSFPP are uber trendy as a band and brought a host of supporters with them from their hometowns. Opening with ‘I think (you’ve had enough)’ there’s an epic response from the crowd. These guys stand there on stage and play, I mean really play…and their amazing at it! It’s obvious they just love what they do, winks from guitarist Ben (Pye) to his friends in the crowd; Will (Hughes) does not stop smiling throughout.  It’s a pleasure to watch. Further songs like ‘Falling all the time ‘and ‘Call it what you want’ encourage energetic participation from the audience, who are all singing and clapping along happily. It feels glittery, sugary, but with sad undertones in vocals at times. It works brilliantly. Light, echoey backing tracks and synths, layered with impressive and catchy guitar riffs, strong drumming and memorable sing along lyrics. These songs will stick in your head for days and that’s a good thing! PSFPP command real stage presence and out their heart and soul into every number, you’re left wanting to see more and more. 

Ending on ‘Talk about it, this has been one hell of a performance. Finishing as full of passion as they started, we now have ‘mosh pit effect’ and it’s jumping!!  Tying the number up, the crowd are still dancing, chanting along…”Don’t cry for me, I’m already dead, she s picking up roses’ almost drowning out Will’s (Hughes) own vocals. This is a real crowd pleaser. The perfect end to a perfect set. It’s been a pleasure to watch. But the crowd want more, they’re clapping, stamping, screaming ‘Encore, encore, encore’. Will (Hughes) laughs down the mic and says ‘But we haven’t got any more’….’Do one again then!’ somebody shouts from the crowd. So, alone, Will starts strumming his guitar and launches into a solo acoustic version of ‘Porcelain Skin.  It’s very well received, to say the least, the crowd surge forward again. It’s not long until the rest of the band are on board, joining in and launch into the full version. It is as if someone just vigorously shook a can of musical energy drink, and then opened it all over us – the place is electric, it’s wired, it’s jumping!! It’s high octane in fast forward!! It seems louder, faster, more vibrant than before (though of course, the earlier rendition was spot on and brilliant), this is some extended version, and it’s better than amazing! The band are bouncing around, everyone is having the time of their lives.  As far as impromptu encores go, this is up there with the best…and a phenomenon not often seen! 

On a real adrenaline rush, the song eventually (I doubt it was physically possible to extend it any longer) draws to a close, thus ending a surreal performance with crashing guitars, feedback, screams and drumsticks being launched into the crowd! Impromptu encore – bloody genius!!  Tonight has been one incredible experience indeed, and one that we will all surely remember for some time. A spectacular ending to a spectacular set by an equally spectacular band.   I for one loved every minute of every set of every band, and I cannot wait to see more of each of them!  What a night?  What a venue? and what a lineup?  

Thank you Rivver, thank you Muddy Elephant and thank you shimmering headliners Pink Shirts For Pale People.

Setlist:

Intro

I think You’ve Had Enough

Falling all the Time

I Like You Lonely

Call it What you want

Night Drives

Passenger

Porcelain Skin

RU Sad

Talk About it. 

Review by Janet Harding and images, Warren Millar