Glass Caves, Fairfield Social Club. 16th November 2019

The night starts badly with a queue to get in, me having to go back to get my hand stamped having rushed through the ticket inspection and breaking a lightbulb in the process. There are lightbulbs everywhere in this hipster hangout. Fairfield Social Club tucked under a railway arch is the definition of how Manchester sees its music scene, industrial chic, slightly underground and very self assured... it’s also bloody freezing! The place is packed with kids, seriously I’m twice the average age. So what are the kids listening to? Pop, indie pop, 80s synth-flecked pop to be precise. The sound isn’t the best, it’s a bit muddy, but damn it’s loud, the waves bouncing back off the stone archway and pulverising those still wet behind the ears. Opening up are Life at the Arcade from Liverpool, they’re not bad, but the sound doesn’t do them any favours. They’re followed by Oceans on Mars, who are a bit heavier but left me a bit cold, despite more bodies piling into the space to warm things up a little. The vocals start a bit ropey, but fair play the singer hits the spot after a few songs and the rest of the set improves, even getting a bit Pearl Jammy, but it’s not enough to win me over. Following the upward trajectory of the evening it’s Glass Caves’ night and the young crowd get very excited. Dancing, screaming, selfie-snappin’, snogging, hugging inflatable aliens (I shit you not), it’s quite amusing. The sound sadly doesn’t improve though, as we’re trapped ironically in an echoy cave. The songs though are belters, even if they’re better suited to hot summer nights than cold winter ones. This is happy happy joy joy party music, the crowd are up for it and the band respond. If I’ve one critism it’s that it can get a bit samey, but hey with the state of the country right now, maybe bucketloads of positivity is just what we need. As I finish off my pint of confusingly named lager and exit the venue without any further electrical disturbance, it’s back out onto Manchester’s cobbled back streets and the cold night, but for 45 minutes Glass Caves warmed this old blokes bones and I’ll definitely be back at Fairfield Social... probably with more layers.