Pop Will Eat Itself, Manchester Academy 2. 13th May 2023

I’m on a high as I enter the Academy this evening. I’ve just watched my youngest secure a league and cup double with his team and we’ve been celebrating. This bares no relevance to this review of course, but PWEI are no strangers to a football reference and it’s fair to give some context to my instant euphoria. Of course being hit with ‘Def Cone One’ right out the gate certainly helps too. It’s big, it’s brutal, it’s brilliant and the academy is bouncing. Everyone’s getting fries to go! As they tear through ‘Get the Girl Kill the Baddies’, the intention is clear, DESTROY MANCHESTER!The pogoing gets seriously intense for ‘Wise Up Sucker’. Crabby’s grabbing his megaphone is stalking the stage like a man possessed. It’s not for the faint hearted. “Who needs the fucking Eurovision song contest, this is our entry!” he shouts as ‘Not Now James, We’re Busy’ bounces out of the speakers with those James Brown screams. It’s as hilarious as it is furious. Mr Brown trying to get a word in as the buzz guitars shred and beats rearrange our senses. Admittedly… or thankfully it calms a little for ‘The Poppies Strike Back’. Only I suspect because it’s not as well known. The riffs are soon squealing again on ‘Can You Dig It?’ and the floor is bouncing once more. It’s not suppose to be. We’re not in the Ritz. If we’re not careful we’ll soon be downstairs. Seriously I’ve not seen this venue go off like this in ages. And the bangers just keep coming. ‘Everything’s Cool’ is an apocalyptic metal monster. Its recorded counterpart is tame in comparison. Live it will dislodge your head from your shoulders. Crabby getting in the audience for the chaos and riots. It’s like a pressure cooker in here and the heat dials up for ‘Ich Bin Ein Auslander’. It’s a dark song but its sentiments echos around the room with a remarkable resonance. ‘Radio PWEI’ lightens things again with its hooks and the glorious horn sample is swapped for a Led Zep riff, which although different is still great. It’s twinned with ‘PWEIzation’. Arguably two songs with them at their poppiest, which is probably their idea of a mid-set cool own. Meaning it’s just bedlam instead of unbridled chaos. They’ve got the set balanced perfectly though. Tempo, old, new. It’s almost is if they’ve been doing this a while. ‘Chihuahua’ does lose a few at the back where I’ve come to grab some water after nearly forgetting who I was down the front. It’s new but older bands should still record if they what to and they’ve a right to put those songs in the set. Otherwise they’re just the Stones and we don’t need more of that do we. They’re looking after us though. “Is everybody happy?” is the call as they unload ‘Bulletproof’. Alright it’s not the most nuanced song ever, but fuck me it’s fun. The football crowd roaring samples of ‘Cicciolina’ reverb around the walls and that  elongated “goaaalllllll” and I can’t help smiling at the thought of my afternoon antics. It’s a rave juggernaut and everyone’s hands are in the air in celebration. I’ve never been disappointed watching the Poppies but this may be the best form I’ve seen them on. ‘Wake Up, Time to Die’ feels fitting marking the hour, as we’re starting to feel the effects of the last 60 minute assault. They’re not done though. Firing up ‘Dance of the Mad Bastards’. Its blistering lyrical pace still silky. “Are you with me?” is the call and I sense we all want to be, but the room seems to be in a sort of euphoric shell shocked suspension. The pit is still banging but the rest are hanging on for dear life. By the time they finish with ‘Their Law’ I’m knackered. It’s like a disco track from hell. The beats are deadly, but that riff, my god! Crabby shouts “Not my fucking King” and they sound genuinely vital and dangerous. As we’re coming out I catch a fella saying “It’s pretty rare to see a band better than they used to be”. It’s sounds like damning praise, but it’s not, Pop Will Eat Itself in 2023 are a fantastic live band and if you’ve not seen them in years or not seen them at all. Sort that out as soon as possible.