The excitement surrounding Man/Woman/Chainsaw is such that their current jaunt around the country has been superseded, with another tour of larger venues already announced for next year. Given that the cramped confines of King Tut’s was packed out a step up in size is unsurprising, and there was a genuine buzz when the London six-piece emerged onstage, 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” ringing out as accompaniment.
Rap is one of the few genres that hasn’t percolated into the group’s own music yet, but they have made a fair go at most others. It was almost dizzying just how much was crammed into the sextet’s material, from euphoric dance rhythms to sludgy guitar work-outs and big pop melodies, and the possibility of whiplash during the 55-minute set felt very real.
There were some constants through, with the sheer energy of violinist Clio Starwood being one. When not playing, she pulled shapes with glee, suggesting that being part of this band was the most fun imaginable, and although she was the most obvious picture of happiness, the rest of the group – who cut their chops at the BRIT School, for good or ill – seemed pretty cheerful too. Singer and bassist Vera Leppänen sashayed with a coolness perfect for a frontwoman, while her soaring vocals contrasted nicely with the more guttural sound of guitarist Billy Ward’s voice.
The latter tended to be deployed on the night’s more down and dirty numbers, with old single “Godamn, Lizard Man” coming across like Nick Cave fronting a late 60s garage rock freak-out. The band’s usage of noise was often used to striking effect, with the wistful opening of “Canyons” evolving into a swelling racket and proving an early stand-out.
Even better was “Get Up and Dance”, progressing from a dreamy opening spotlighting Leppänen’s voice through to increasingly feral noise, with totemic drumming from stickswoman Lola Cherry inspiring the crowd to frantically clap along. By the time it ended, Starwood was using her violin as a mock Tommy gun amid a general din and it felt a thrillingly visceral moment.
However such a varied palette can also result in a disjointed feel, with all the jigsaw pieces there but being crammed awkwardly together in place of a natural fit. There were some off moments, with the heavy guitar of “The Thing” sounding too muddy early on, and the husky vocals and smoky romance on “Lighter” felt an awkward fit in the set, even if the song itself was good. The leap on “Ode to Clio”, from Radio 2 pop to emo thrash, was one too far.
Perhaps this is just modern music, though. All genres and styles in play, skipping from one to the next no matter how big a jump it seems to be. Or maybe it is simply a case of a band still working out how best to utilize what is in their arsenal.
That repertoire has some crackers in there already. “Still Angry” offered swaying pop smarts and bursts of twanging guitar, while the filthy bass and stabbing violin of “Something Else To Give” offers art-rock par excellence. There was a fun stab at the Breeders “Cannonball” too, but nothing came close to the hypnotic groove of the set closing “Nosedive”. One of the best songs of the year, it sounds even better live, a sensational, driving dancefloor banger where the only urge is to keep moving, aided by Leppänen shaking a tambourine with abandon. A giddy delight, and a glimpse of the greatness this group are capable.
