Tendertrap - Gullivers, Manchester, 26/3/2011

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 20 / 3 / 2011

intro

At Gullivers in Manchester, Dixie Ernill watches Amelia Fletcher's band Tender Trap play a spellbinding set of classic-sounding indie pop

After disappointment the previous evening at a gig with Glasvegas, it is an absolute pleasure to be transported back to very heart of planet indie-pop, which has been my spiritual home since I first heard the Brilliant Corners 'Delilah Sands' twenty years ago. Through her appearance as a coy backing singer on the video of the Brilliant Corners 'Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him, When You Could Go Out With Me?' single, I became a fan of Amelia Fletcher's musical output, which has in it's various guises been a shining example of girl group indie without which I doubt we would have been blessed with such undervalued talents as the School, Camera Obscura or the closely linked Allo Darlin'. Tonight, somewhat wrongly but appropriately, Fletcher's current band of nearly ten years, Tender Trap, are headlining 'The Underachievers' night at Manchester's Gullivers. Like a punked up version of the Shangri-Las the three way vocal interplay of Fletcher, stand up drummer Katrina Dixon and newest member, guitarist Emily Bennett, forms a wonderful centre-piece to the group with veteran guitarist Rob Pursey and John Downfall on bass offering the solid bedrock. Most of the set is taken from last year's ace album, 'Dansette Dansette'; 'Fireworks' and 'Girls With Guns' being particular highlights, but there is also an opportunity to slip in a couple top draw oldies in the shape of 'Oh Katrina' and 'Talking Backwards' and a trio of new songs including the stunning 'Step 1' and Christmas ditty 'Leaving Xmas Day' that is an interesting choice in March! The band finish with rattling good recent single "Do You Want A Boyfriend?", which not only name drops the Jesus And Mary Chain, but also manages to rhyme psychologically with gynaecologically! In the true spirit of C86, despite the humid venue conditions, they even return for a quick unrehearsed one song encore and I almost feel embarrassed to be wearing a jacket rather than a cardigan. But outside, having congratulated Katrina and Rob on a fine set, I feel happy to be approaching my fortieth birthday safe in the knowledge that forty somethings can still deliver blinding gigs.

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