Miscellaneous - Briton's Protection,Manchester, 1/12/2012

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 6 / 12 / 2012

intro

Dixie Ernill watches up-and-coming Salford-based five-piece the Cold One Hundred play a superb set of indie pop at the showcase gig for their debut EP at the Briton’s Protection in Manchester

The Cold One Hundred have steadily been gathering momentum over the last couple of years from early support slots with the likes of a relatively unknown (at the time) the Vaccines and up-and-coming Morecambe band the Heartbreaks to a short tour opening up for Brett Anderson. Now the apprenticeship is finally over and tonight’s debut EP showcase descends into a vibrant homecoming gig that almost brings down the floor of this old Manchester hostelry. Granted the crowd crammed into this compact guestlist only upstairs function room may be mainly made up of friends and family, but TCOH have the songs and the knowing swagger to thrill regardless. Fuelled by wine and crate loads of talent this Salford based five-piece have lost the shackles of their formative gigs and tonight leave nothing in the locker as they deliver a potent mix of The Cure, The Pixies, Orange Juice, the Brilliant Corners (though they probably don’t know it) and the Smiths (“and I’m Stephen Patrick Morrissey,” joked singer Amory Neish-Melling after he’d introduced the rest of the band during proceedings). The set is short and unsurprisingly is underpinned by tracks from the EP, the best of which are 'On to the Next One' and 'Smoking Saved My Life', but there is also time for a few tracks that will make up the backbone of their debut LP too. The encore is the anthemic 'Hedonist' which even the mums sing along too. It really is that catchy. There is no place for wonderful oldie 'Forgeting was Easy for Scarlet', but it doesn’t matter as TCOH have successfully stamped themselves on the hearts and minds of those assembled. It’s only a matter of time now before the rest of the country catches on.

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