Live Review

Therapy? – 02 Academy, Liverpool

• 2nd Nov 2009

With the sounds of guitars reversing and expectation building Metro Manila Aide advance on the stage, it’s a slightly unusual set-up with the drums placed far right to allow for equipment space, but this pales in the strangeness stakes as front man/prophet Saul bounds on stage in a full body sumo suit.

It’s all at once surreal and transfixing, whilst being completely in keeping with MMA’s outlook to subvert, question and entertain tonight’s crowd-“There are seven wonders of the world, and you are about to experience the eighth!” Mr Godman exclaims as they effortlessly scoop up the audience and drop them into their own psychedelic mix.

It’s the Devils handbook that is being preached from tonight and ‘Immortality’ serves as the misty mountain top that Metro straddle, wrapping a microphone around a crowd members head-much to their chagrin-Saul screams at high pitches and spits fire and flowers, forceful but peaceful.
Tonight the right choice of songs are delivered, the balance is perfect. To take a four cd album and still matain a focused account of oneself is amazing. MMA will leave many converted tonight.

From the offset Ricky Warwick addresses any preconceived ideas the crowd may have “I know what you’re thinking another guy with his acoustic, well I’m going to do my best to play the shit out of this guitar for you tonight” and in-keeping with his word, that’s exactly what happens. Ricky is ill tonight, but you wouldn’t know by the performance-it’s a man stripped down to morals and bone, you’re getting Ricky to the nth degree.

The crowd allow Ricky to set his stall out and when someone cries ‘Nickleback’ he wryly smiles-he knows that handled badly acoustic rock can fall into parody, and ensures the tempo and vibe are pitched correctly, occasionally throwing a cover into the mix; tonight’s version of ‘The ace of spades’ being a high point for being both memorable and turning the crowd up and on to the same page.

Ricky’s sincerity is unquestionable and ‘Belfast confetti’ is delivered with subtlety & suitability, and sees him stand out and become the artist the previous two albums promised.
Unfamiliar with the new material the crowd still respond with support guaranteeing that when old Almighty songs and a Maiden cover get aired the crowd have no choice but to be enamoured by Ricky. The whole set has the feel of a few pints with a good friend at the bar, where he regales you with moving stories and all with a humility only a true songwriter can ever hope to achieve.
It’s ‘Arms of Belfast’ that is the ‘one for the road’ and will mean Ricky’s already overdue return will see many eager to hear much more, beautiful and brutal music, sung with such conviction that it’s impossible not to be moved.

Therapy? have done the work for people wanting to understand their music, by calling their latest album ‘Crooked timber’ referring to the Immanuel Kath’s line “From the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made.” It acutely sums them up and shows how they have their arms open for the strange, and well they might as it’s where some of the best stuff comes from.
“Were going to do this chronologically” Andy Cairns announces and ‘Teeth grinder’ is played with the same enthusiasm they had when they first wrote it- an energy that’s matched only by the crowd’s reaction. The academy is bouncing tonight before Therapy? have even hit their stride, there’s a massive amount of energy welcoming the band from the off, willing it to be as good as they remember, and it is.

The only thing more ever-present than the pop/punk metal shards thrown out tonight is the smile on the bands faces, almost surprised they are loved as they are. It’s a starting point from which they not only build but reciprocate to the audience by playing out of their skins.
New material always gets eyed with suspicion when aired for the first time and ‘Exiles’ is given the same treatment, fortunately it takes the opening riff for the crowd to realise that its classic Therapy?-and is welcomed as such.
Summing up their musical style is one thing, encapsulating their career is entirely another, but again Therapy? have done it for you ‘Enjoy the struggle’ is so earnest and autobiographical it could have only been written by Therapy? about Therapy?.

It’s ‘Screamager’ and the later encore ‘Isolation’ that completes the Therapy? experience tonight, perfectly crafted slices of human emotion, simple, pointed and above all else quality. Therapy? strips down melodies to their true form, without pretention, unafraid to allow dry wit mix with intelligence and come out fighting. Andy, Michael & Neil are in no hurry to leave as they shake hands with a crowd several centimetres away from them, in a similar way to how local band would.

With another big anniversary coming up Therapy? are living, breathing, entertaining proof that quality songs will always be timeless and more significantly that their career to date has been full of them, tonight’s performance solidifies that endurance.