The Gaslight Anthem Triumph In Manchester

Thursday 28th March 2013 – The Gaslight Anthem @ Manchester Academy

It’s a cold Thursday night and anyone with half a brain must surely be strapped to the sofa ready for a night of rubbish TV and an early kip. But no matter how much we all enjoy a bit of Coronation Street, the 2000 full-brained people queuing outside Manchester Academy have got the right idea. Tonight is the second of Gaslight Anthem’s sold-out dates at this venue and as we feel a twinge of déjà vu standing alongside familiar faces from last night’s show it’s hard not to worry whether we’ll be seeing this same thing twice.

It’s not even six months ago that Gaslight Anthem were last in Manchester but it was enough time for the New Jersey band to take in extensive European and American Tours in support of their fourth LP ‘Handwritten’. But judging by the fervent cheers that greet them as they take to stage to the upbeat tones of ‘The Spirit of Jazz’ it’s as though they’ve been away for years.

There’s always a special feeling that comes with a Gaslight Anthem gig. Maybe it’s the mixture of burning incense and memorabilia that covers the bands equipment. Maybe it’s frontman Brian Fallon’s absolute comfort on stage and his willingness to talk nonsense with the crowd but the somehow manage to make the largest venue feel like a private gig.

With ‘Handwritten’ proving to be the catalyst that well may well launch this band into the mainstream it seems odd that the band neglect the record for a good portion of set before slowing things down for a haunting version of ‘Mae’.

From here they power through a solid selection of the albums best tracks including an electrifying ‘45’ before they finish on one of the albums most poignant songs, ‘Keepsake’ which Brian sends out his estranged father, revealing that the only thing he knows about him is that he was born in the city that he’s playing tonight.

The band return to the stage for a seven (yes seven!) song encore with fan favourite ‘The Backseat’ providing an energetic close to the show. With the crowd having sang along to every heartfelt line it’s a wonder that anyone has a voice left to cheer with but as the band make their way off stage the chants for the band endure for several seconds.

For now The Gaslight Anthem lurk beneath the mainstream, large enough to sell out large venues but not quite household names, is it wrong for us to want them to remain ‘our’ band forever?

Words: Michael Glynn