City Calm Down - Deaf Institute, Manchester, 23/5/2018

by Dixie Ernill

published: 29 / 6 / 2018

City Calm Down - Deaf Institute, Manchester, 23/5/2018

Dixie Ernill catches Melbourne indie-rockers City Calm Down in fine form promoting their new LP ‘Echoes in Blue’ at the Deaf Institute in Manchester

Article

Over the last few years there have been a number of good new Australian indie-rock bands that have yet to make an impact over here but are making significant strides on home soil. The Cairos and Stillwater Giants are two that spring to mind, and most recently City Calm Down have come on the radar. I came across them late last year when I went to see the sadly now defunct Motion Picture support them at a fairly low-key gig at the Soup Kitchen in Manchester. I was impressed enough to track down their debut album ‘In a Restless House’, which is an enjoyable mix of the National, Foreign Born and Editors with a subtle twist of the Cure and Psychedelic Furs for good measure. Tonight’s show at the more enticing Deaf Institute is part of a short tour to promote their new long player, ‘Echoes in Blue’, and as such the set is a good mix of tracks from both albums. Of the songs from the second album, ‘Blood’ and downbeat ‘Joan, I’m Disappearing’ are the ones that register the most along with the brooding set closer, ‘In This Modern Land’. Whereas the bass driven ‘Rabbit’ and ‘Your Fix’ with the wonderful chorus couplet of ‘If you’re looking for forgiveness I don’t care/If you’re begging for forgiveness well I am scared’ provide the real opportunity for the crowd to break loose into dance. The surprise highlight is ‘If There’s a Light On’ which comfortably transcends it’s recorded self into something rather special indeed. Off stage the band are genuinely humble and just thrilled to have played again in a city with such a rich musical history. If they keep progressing then in years to come Melbourne may just hold a similar attraction for UK bands.