BIPARTISAN PUSH THE LIMIT AT SELL-OUT 33 OLDHAM STREET GIG

LIVE REVIEW | BIPARTISAN | MANCHESTER – 33 OLDHAM STREET 27/09 by Tom Whittleton

There’s a feeling you get when you see DIY bands take a step up from playing to 3 mates and a dog to selling out a venue.

Bipartisan, Sugartung and Dantzic did just that at 33 Oldham Street on a busy Friday night in the Northern Quarter. 33 Oldham Street is a sweat box, blacked out venue with a seriously dangerous sound system. Something these lads were going to put through its paces.

DANTZIC

Dantzic were first on after a recent line-up change and acquisition of a new “drummer” – a drum machine. Which Shan Henderson, the groups natural born frontman pointed out “doesn’t talk back and doesn’t want paying” all whilst wearing a communist commander’s hat.

The band takes Darkwave grooves in their stride, each tune vibrates your fillings through chorus pedal bass riffs courtesy of Oscar Boon and Shan’s programming of the Drum Machine. Bathed in red glow and entering the stage to a classical piece straight out of the Soviet Bloc, Dantzic warmed up a crowd of indoor sunglasses wearers and a few Wigan Scally’s; a combination which suited these lads nicely.

The audience bobbed their heads and grooved along nicely to music fitting Manchester’s past without an over-reliance on nostalgia. Technical difficulties cut the groups set short which comes with the territory using janky tape machines to build on their already vintage yet modern sound.

Shan would be back later.

SUGARTUNG

SugarTung made their way onto stage with a brief introductory jam before lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player Dan Cocksedge lurked his way onto the stage, thousand-yard stare included.

Sugartung are a power all their own, mixing dark lyrics with a furious attack on the ears. Tracks like “Northern Town” and “Want Out” sing along catchy. Mitch Walsh’s lead guitar flirts with shredding without any pretentiousness, with rhythm section tightness coming from bassist Will Hall and drummer Kian Conroy. The set’s biggest highlight was finisher “I Want Out” with Dan launching into the audience crawling along the floor and pushing through anyone who dares to stay static.

BIPARTISAN

The venue was packed wall to wall before Bipartisan took the stage. Lights were lowered and Ice Cube‘s “No Vaseline” soundtracked a walkout with enough swagger to justify the group’s sunglasses at night-time confidence.

Making their way up to the stage it was evident Bipartisan are more street gang than band, arm in arm and hyping each other up giving ‘big ones’ to the audience which jeered back in between chants of “Wigan Wigan Wigan” and band to crowd banter.

Frontman and spiritual leader of the group, Oisin McMahon, dances around with devilish grin as drummer Ben Curtis stands on his drum stool hands in pockets calm and collected. The boys tune up and make their presence on Manchester’s music scene known.

“Unqualified Success” is the opening offering from Bipartisan. The football terrace atmosphere takes a complete nosedive into the realm of punk rock abandon. Dual guitar duties are undertaken by Elliot Whitworth and Jack Hughes; a stooge’s riff wrapped in an unmistakable 90s Britpop bounce.

Ben Curtis’ kick drum thump announces the next track “Abide By Me” some more muted guitar scratching and they were off. The crowd went ballistic. Pogoing mad heads and the appearance of a cardboard sign saying ‘Best Ever’ leave the line between performer and artists blurred if not completely invisible.

Next track “Kinski” takes an unexpected emotional turn. The lyrics are introspective but without being too blunted by the bands now dug in groove. Oisin is a man at the end of his tether being held steady by his bands cool. At this point in the set the band gained another member. Joe Mcgrath appears from the crowd: Harrington jacket, shades and a tambourine raised high – less of a mascot and more of a focal point for everything Bipartisan represents. Like a ginger Joel Gion with less facial hair.

With the band now collecting its full ranks a total of 6 members with interchangeable photographers and mates taking the stage to bounce along. They kept the vibe dark with “Fix You” not relating to any Coldplay sins. A slower number but not without energy grinder with Oisin howling his way through repeated choruses and a growling “I’ll fix you, i’ll fix you”, begging an imaginary person off in the middle distance.

As if 6 people on a dive bars stage wasn’t already enough, the band invited Dantzic’s Shan Henderson onstage to perform a punky garage rock track “Espionage” with a two microphone approach the frontmen bring the energy back up to a fever pitch. Like two best mates on a night out the duo hurls themselves around turning the venue into a sweatbox dungeon.

Not to be the first to call something a ‘scene’, or to crown these bands as representing anything other than a new generation of Manchester’s lineage, without sounding sensationalist is hard. But it felt like a moment which will be remembered by all in attendance for its intensity, volume and united front of the new.

In a set of a fair few surprises the band take a completely left field approach to a cover of Oasis’ “Columbia”, taking the tracks heady 90’s sound and adding Bipartisan’s psych approach turning the Gallagher brothers tune into a jam filled head bopper. The inclusion of this cover sends the lager centered audience into a feeding frenzy; something I was quickly thrown to the back of the room during.

The night’s last song didn’t leave any room for air as “Dig Into Me”, the bands soon to be released first single took off. The band took full form a brief glimpse of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Primal Screams junkie jam early output was seen like a ghostly apparition.

Bipartisan are ones to watch, not with a glance but your full attention, because without it they will probably kick you in the face.

Author