Official Secrets Act - Roadhouse, Manchester, 26/3/2009

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 19 / 3 / 2009

intro

Out on the road to promote their debut album 'Understanding Electricity', Dixie Ernill watches excitable band-on-the-rise Official Secrets Act play a stunning set of indie pop at the Manchester Roadhouse

A band called the Kingsway offer support and despite only playing 5 songs they make a big impression. A blend of the best bits of Manchester music from the last two decades, an Oasis it’s okay to like… From the moment Official Secrets Act, however, ease into opening gambit ‘Bloodsport’, the Kingsway become a mere footnote on an extraordinary evening of musical delight. It is not just the quality of the material that Official Secrets Act showcase, but the real sense of fun that they exude throughout the performance. Bassist Lawrence Diamond (surely a made up name?) not only bobs around like an excited youth high on his first bottle of cheap cider down the park with his mates, but is also dressed up like a homage to Austin Powers with an electric blue make-up mask across his eyes. Multi-instrumentalist Michael Evans never seems shy of a river wide smile, but with the looks that could stun super models at 50 paces, I guess I’d be smiling too, while vocalist and guitarist Tom Burke sings every word like it’s his second nature and looks every inch the part in his dandy jacket. Alex MacKenzie on drums is naturally hidden at the back, but he doesn’t seem unhappy to be there. Culling songs solely from their forthcoming debut album,' Understanding Electricity', with the exception of ace first single, ‘Snakes And Ladders’ it is a show without weakness. ‘Mainstream’, like so much of the set, is urged along by Evans' electronic noodlings, lifting the band high above the current indie fayre that is doing the circuit at the moment. Single ‘So Tomorrow’ is another fine example of a healthy mixture of influences ranging from 80’s synth groups such as OMD and Ultravox, to the Divine Comedy and Hamfatter, with a dash of Patrick Wolf. ‘Hold The Line’ and ‘December’ are equally solid numbers not out of place with old single ‘Victoria’ or the rousing current 7” ‘The Girl From The BBC’, before the night is brought to a close by the beautiful ‘Little Birds’. Steve Lamacq has already picked up on the fine lyrical output of the band and I would not disagree, but the music is something rather special too.

Picture Gallery:-