White Lies - Academy, Manchester, 18/2/2011

  by Aaron Brown

published: 21 / 2 / 2011

intro

Aaron Brown watches White Lies play a crowd-pleasing set in front of an ecstatic audience to promote their just released second album, 'Ritual', at the Manchester Academy

The last time White Lies played Manchester they sold out the FAC51 in a few hours, no mean feat considering how tiny the place is. I admit I had my doubts until this gig and when I listened to their new album, 'Ritual', I thought that was the end of them. That was until I saw them live of course. They are back in old Manc town tonight and, judging by the roaring trade the touts are doing, this band are going places. The chaps from Ealing are greeted to a rapturous applause on taking to the stage with 'A Place to Hide'. £50+ a ticket immediately seemed good business. The band is on form and all credit to them. Live they are note perfect and singer Harry McVeigh knows how to work the audience. All the hits are here from the catchy chorus of 'To Lose My Life' to the genius of 'Farewell to the Fairground'. The band stick to what the audience want to hear. Critics of White Lies really should go to see them before slating them. The main comparisons of Interpol and Joy Division in my opinion are just lazy journalism because every new band sounds like Joy Division at the moment. Highlight of the night, 'Death', was a sing-a-long from start to finish. The inclusion of a few newbies such the excellent 'Is Love' puts me mind of an early Duran Duran. And the synths-driven closer, 'Bigger Than Us', makes me think maybe it is just the difficult second album cliché and this band have a good future ahead of them.

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