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| Mansun Bristol Fleece & Firkin 15/05/02 Supported by Athlete. I’ve liked Mansun since ‘Attack of the Grey Lantern’, but I’ve never actually managed to see them live, so I was really excited about this gig, and the fact that it was at a relatively small venue made it even more promising. Support act Athlete were interesting, they were using some particularly intriguing instruments and sound effects and gave off a distinctly dancey summery vibe. They were also very very bland. Mansun are one of the weirdest bands in Britain today as they don’t really fit into any scene or genre. All their albums have been different: ‘Attack Of The Grey Lantern’ is campy, comedy indie; ‘Six’ is either insane genius or a crazy mess and ‘Little Kix’ is a baffling blend of trad Brit indie and 80’s love songs. They open with ‘Being a Girl’, one of the best songs ever about gender envy and consumerism. Straight away the difference of seeing quite a large band in a small place hits you, it feels really intimate and the band themselves seem to have noticed it as well. “Shit, you’re close!” says Paul. This tour is apparently being used to try out new material. Usually this means none of the favourites and lots of ropey half finished songs no one but the band want to hear. However, tonight we not only get some of Mansun’s best – ‘Legacy’, ‘The Chad Who Loved Me’ and a mosh-tastic ‘Take it Easy Chicken’ – we also get fantastic new songs like ‘Secrets’ and ‘This is my Home’. Chad’s guitar playing and beard are one of my highlights as is the sing-a-long but in ‘Legacy’ and all of ‘Wide Open Space’. Before this gig Mansun had always been a band I liked but now I’m totally converted and love them. Jo. |