Live Review

Catch In The City – Dry Bar, Manchester

• 30th Oct 2007

With snappy, marching drums and ska guitar rhythms, Feast of Fools make an upbeat start to their set – despite the ill-balanced and muddy sound system – and soon draw all the afternoon crowd across to their stage (one of three stages in the venue this weekend).

Conscious of their northern home, hints of brit-pop and earlier Manchester sounds push through in Ben Hayward’s slightly raspy and lilting vocals, and the distinctively English tone of the guitars. There are many bands imitating the same sources that this group clearly draw influence from, but Feast of Fools are not just another one of the unoriginal indie bands which are out in force this weekend. With the addition of more rock-based lead riffs, and very catchy but not wholly predictable vocal melodies, they are a livelier and more accomplished bunch, offering lyrics which are worth listening to as well.

Stand out track ‘Is It The Way You Kiss?’ shows that straight forward indie-pop can also be interesting and witty. Accessible and sharp, it’s something to dance or head nod to, as all of their set is, but it also effectively brings across its subject matter (questioning honesty and intentions).

As they progress towards the close of their set, Hayward jokes “we’ll be signed now, ‘cus that’s what happens at In The City’. And with this in mind, their final song, ‘Heat’, was a suitable closer. Mocking pretentious urban lifestyles (“it’s all bout your clothes and what goes up your nose”), Feast of Fools manage to embrace current indie sounds but at the same time oppose much of what surrounds it.