“I DON’T THINK YOU’RE READY…” | SNÕÕPER MAKE A BLISTERING LIVE RETURN TO MANCHESTER

LIVE REVIEW | SNOOPER | MANCHESTER YES (PINK ROOM) 08/09/24 by Lucy McLachlan

Nashville’s Snõõper returned to the UK this week for a handful of lively, sweat dripping punk shows. After making their UK live debut in November last year, the band headed back to Manchester’s Yes on Sunday evening (08/09), only this time graduating from the basement to the high capacity ‘Pink Room’.

Fruit Loop (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)
Fruit Loop (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)
Fruit Loop (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)
Fruit Loop (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)
Fruit Loop (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)
Fruit Loop (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)
Fruit Loop (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)

Warming up for Snõõper was Manchester’s own Fruit Tones. At the end of their scuzzy garage rock n roll set they asked “Are you ready for Snooper?” and were met by crowd cheers before adding, “I don’t think you are cos we saw them at End of the Road…” [Dorset based music festival]. A statement which certainly followed through – I don’t think anyone was ready for the set that followed.

Yes Pink Room (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)

Snõõper spent what felt like an age setting up. Yes’ Pink Room is a small stage and tonight has been made even smaller by a huge 80s style mobile phone made out of carboard and tin foil on one side, and a similar cardboard box/tin foil rectangular construction on the other side replicating what looked like traffic lights. And if that wasn’t enough stage props to make you feel like you’ve fell into a fever dream, the addition of giant paper-mâché dumb bells knocking around the stage will do it.

The gig itself was a big ball of energy; the two guitarists and a bass player bounced off every surface with hair flipping and legs kicking all over the place. Snõõper are confrontationally loud, they demand your attention in a way that true punk music should. Towards the end of fast paced set there’s a guitar being passed around the audience before a Blue Peter badge worthy paper-mâché puppet started to make its’ way into the crowd. What looked like an office dude in sunglasses, the puppet was a wild way to bring the set to an end but I couldn’t help but wonder if these incredible props were shipped over from the US or were they made when they got here?

The set was so blisteringly fast paced it felt like it was over in 15 minutes – these guys need to be seen to be believed, their shows are something else. Fruit Tones were right, I don’t think anyone was ready for that.

Having released their debut album ‘Super Snõõper‘ last year on Jack White’s [The White Stripes] Third Man Records and having the seal of approval from the likes of Henry Rollins, this Nashville band are most certainly on the rise. Having hinted on social media that this could be the last visit to the UK for sometime, Snõõper will finish up their UK run of live shows this week with dates in Nottingham, London and Brighton – more info and tickets available HERE.