Young Galaxy - Ruby Lounge, Manchester, 15/3/2011

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 20 / 3 / 2011

intro

Dixie Ernill watches Stockton-On-Tees band the Chapman Family play a promising and sincere set of post-punk at the Manchester Ruby Lounge

The North East has been enjoying a musical resurgence in recent years, with the likes of Young Rebel Set, Brilliant Mind and Frankie & The Heartstrings doing the region proud. The Chapman Family are another on this impressive production line and judging by the positive response to their current Artrocker Tour alongside O.Children, their hard graft building up a following over the last couple of years is paying dividends. Tonight's Manchester show is another well attended affair, despite United being in Champions League action. Musically the Chapman Family are an interesting beast offering up an eclectic mix of melody heavy indie anthems and brutal sonic assaults in a way that is reminiscent to 90's band Strangelove. It is the melodic moments such as current single 'Anxiety'and 'Sound of the Radio' that best showcase Kingsley Chapman's impressive tones, falling somewhere between Ian McCulloch and Ian Curtis, and it is these areas that band are at their best. The flip side of their repertoire such as 'Kids', whilst delivered in earnest fashion, lack the hooks to slice through the pounding noise, but are still well received by a hardcore of devotees. The show ends with Kingsley repeatedly wrapping the mic lead round his neck in a mock strangulation stunt. It is a powerful image, if a tad unnecessary. Sadly, their set does not include 'Virgins', possibly their finest song to date (even in it's stripped down album form) and there is no encore, but there has been enough quality to warrant further investigation.

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