I’ve only seen Readers twice this year and I’ve missed the recent gigs in the city, with them playing fan requests and with added strings, I think my super fan status may need to be retired. I’m also wondering what fresh words I can use to describe them. Let’s give it a go… It’s a miserable Manchester night. Cold. Wet. Not raining, but I step in a massive puddle on the way in. It’s a perfect night for being inside and inside New Century is pretty nice. This venue feels like it’s quickly reestablished itself as a favourite in the city. Google a photo of it and you’ll get a shot tilted skyward to show off its gorgeously sharp shaped ceiling. Once the lights go out it lies dormant, but as the anticipation in the room slowly builds, it sweeps through a rainbow of colours. It does this for every gig I’ve been to here, but tonight I can’t help thinking how Readers-like it is. Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting it reminds me of an album cover like those obsessed super fans on Facebook sharing nonsensical claptrap, but it does echo this bands clean cut aesthetic. What I love about this room though is how wide it is. You can stand anywhere and see! The stage is wide too, giving Aaron perhaps more room than he’s used to, as they kick off with ‘All I Hear’. They look cool and comfortable in a bigger room and they’ve got fancy lights and streamer canons that go off during ‘The Wait’, leaving yellow paper streams draping down from that fancy ceiling. The arms are a up, ticking away time for ‘Start Again’. It’s a well rehearsed routine these days, but shows just how many of the devout they pull in show after show. ‘Afterlife’ isn’t one of my favourites, but it brings a big singalong and sounds glorious. It’s gonna be that kind of gig. They blast through the jaunty ‘Jericho’ and the sombre ‘Everything I Own’, but it’s the foot stompers that get me going. ‘Tell No Lies’ sounding massive, its line “a simple song can set you free” slicing through like a dose of pure europhia. ‘You Open Up My Heart’ follows and sounds sublime. I mean, like an entire room bonded together sort of sublime. People are hugging. The guy in front of me breaks into a mini rave routine, whilst making heart shapes with his hands. That kinda gig. He’s a riot. Like an enthusiastic sign language interpreter. He’s plucking the ground during ‘Plant a Seed’ and sowing seeds in the air. They’ll never grow, but it’s brilliant. Things mercifully calm down for ‘Lay Your Troubles On Me’, it’s got very warm very quickly in here, but as Aaron puts his mic stand to one side, it steps up for the songs end. Kurt hitting the guitar pedals as David pounds that bit harder. There’s a bit of everything. We even get a new one, which sounds very promising for the next chapter. It’s a bit Bloc Party, whatever it’s called, it’s an indie dance floor filler, if those still exist. Jim the Bass Samuri is my spirit animal. He moves like he’s wired in to the amps. He feels ever twitch of ‘Feet On Fire’ and so do we as the foot stomping sends vibrations through the floor. The girl next to me loses herself to ‘Distant Memory’ screaming “this is my favourite” down my ear. That kinda gig. As if they know, they follow with mine ‘Forever in Your Debt’. It sounds just as magnificent now as it did when I first heard it and live, well it’s the definition of perfect. ‘Knowledge Freedom Power’ sits nicely in the later half of a set. To say it packs a punch is an understatement. Especially when sung back at volume by a sold out crowd. They feed off it. Especially Jim, who leans back grinning from ear to ear. After that “we’re going back to doom” for ‘On the TV’. It might be bleak lyrically “world on fire” etc. but it’s an absolute banger and the place goes nuts and carry’s on its guitar hook acapella while we wait for them to come back for the encore. And what’s way to come back. ‘Modernise’ is an industrial synth brain melter. As we cling on to our collective senses, the world outside this room ceases to exist. If you’ve not yet listened to The Slow Readers Club, firstly where have you been, secondly maybe give this song a go, turn it up and get lost. Fan favourite ‘I Saw a Ghost’ despite being slower follows and fits perfectly, ushering a full crowd sing along. Before ‘Lunatic’ closes, and I’m lost in a sea of limbs and ticker tape. With such a vast arsenal, they could go all night. There’s plenty of great songs left out, but the strength of this set, just proves what an incredible band they are. That kinda gig.
