MANCHESTER’S reputation of discovering incredible new bands was realised on Wednesday (October 19) night as quartet, Foxglove, took to Northern Quarter. The band, fronted by Quays News’ very own Abi White, played six of their most spry tracks and our reporter, Alicia Boukersi, went to the gig…
The nights are getting colder and darker, but in indie hub Night and Day Café, the opposite is true.
The room was brimming with people – everyone was excited, bustling, eager.
Most of the audience seemed to be in attendance primarily for Foxglove, despite them sharing the stage with three other bands.
Carpets were first on stage, providing much of the same in the world of alternative rock.
The hint of garage resembled the Strokes, their new romantic sounds are textbook Spector; not exactly boring, but nothing groundbreaking either.
Manchester based five-piece Gul Swing followed, but, alas, did not leave a lasting impression.
The tranquil vocals were almost unheard, hidden behind thudding bass and aggressive electronica – something the band later apologised for on their official Facebook page, stating that “equipment was not on our side tonight, but s**t happens and thank you for coming out!”
It was not long until the spotlight hit the stage and Foxglove briefly introduced themselves before diving into the first song of the night, ‘Synthetic Truth‘.
Though the audience remained calm, there was an undeniable feeling that everyone was simply captivated by the music.
With glitter on her cheeks and braids in her hair, vocalist White has the look of a pre-Raphaelite indie girl; it suits the grunge and shoegaze music well.
The band moved on to their energetic track, ‘Tide’.
The soft and emotive vocals, poignant lyrics and magnetic riff resonate through the room and reach the far corners of the venue.
With her lilting yet steely vocal, White held her own amid the impressive synths on next song, ‘Natural Light‘.
But while she was the focal point, the boys in the band aren’t completely forgotten.
Ryan Croney on guitar, David Acosta on bass, and Liam Croney’s drumming provided the perfect backing.
This showed in the following interlude – a funky little instrumental where every guitar line is crystal clear, and the bass and drums each have their own place in the mixing.
The next track ‘Salt‘ has a dance beat and brooding vocals that are delivered with unfaltering passion.
The vocalist displayed maturity beyond her years yet manages to equally describe the difficulties of youth.
‘Unrequited’, for example, talks about young love and is a real emotional rocker.
The song is faultless – wrapped in electronic washes and skittish guitar.
Foxglove appear confident on stage and manage to put on a great musical performance whilst visibly having fun with it – White’s quirky dancing and constant joking with her audience attest to this.
The set ended with ‘Tuesday’, number six on a set-list of six uniquely tremendous songs.
The vocals were underpinned by sulky synths and scattered with brighter snaps of guitar, you can’t help but hang on to every word.
The lyrics “we come alive in the night time” couldn’t be more literal.
The rapturous applause following each song spoke volumes – Foxglove are one to look out for in the future.
Heavy rock band The Wytches play after Foxglove and showcased an overdriven bass, pounding, tangible, you can feel it in your lungs.
For such a small venue, the mosh pits that accumulate hardly seem appropriate but people are happy nonetheless.
The members of the Carpets, Gul Swing and Foxglove were all jumping around in the audience and it concluded the night perfectly.
By Alicia Boukersi
@alicia_boukersi
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