15th February 2013
The Ritz
9/10
Jesca Hoop kicked off proceedings (I say kicked, though perhaps nudged would be more accurate), but her set was overshadowed by a murmuring crowd anxious to see Kloot and shockingly poor sound quality, perhaps a testament to a technical crew underwhelmed by Hoop’s relatively minor status. It certainly wasn’t, however, a testament to the quality of the musician – and anyone doubting her Friday night performance should first take a listen her Snowglobe EP before casting judgement.
Kloot finally appear at around 9 to the roar of a restless, drunken, Friday night crowd. So restless, in fact, that during some songs lead singer Johnny Bramwell has to tell them all to shut up. Not that there was any atmosphere of contempt; “set my compass North, circumscribe the earth and go” sings Bramwell, an homage to the band’s Manchester roots and a furtherance of the nostalgic revelry Kloot bathed in that night.
The night reaches its peaks with performances of ‘Twist’ and ‘Proof’, where the increasingly intoxicated crowd sway to Bramwell’s melodic repeats of “without you, without you”. ‘Hold Back the Night’ is met with a buzz of excitement, as well as a half-hearted attempt at an initial singalong that only made it as far as “hold back the night, these streets are filled with laughter” before descending into drunken ramblings. There was a fair balance between classic and more recent work, and it was frankly a joy to see the same level of energy and excitement for both the old and the new. The session musicians fleshing out the live band were on top form, although the level of depth Kloot manage as a three piece remains much more impressive. A superb homecoming performance, marred only slightly by the boisterous crowd.
