Band of Skulls at Manchester's Albert Hall

Mick Birchall
Oct 30, 2016
3 min read

WORDS: MICK BIRCHALL PHOTOS: CAI DIXON

Friday night in Manchester and I was off to the Albert Hall. One of the best venues in Manchester for sound, production and atmosphere. Band of Skulls has been one of those bands that I have always been behind. Although I have not seen them live in a long time; the last time I saw them was in 2009 just after the first album dropped. So this was a pretty different experience. From a small venue with a handful of people bopping their heads to grand venues like Manchester's Albert Hall. And with the new album, By Default being as good as it is... To say I was looking forward to this gig is a bit of an understatement.

With people packing out the venue, London-based band Bones hit the stage. With a thundering beat and a bluesy vibe to them, they certainly made an impact. I was instantly captivated by them. They were bold and striking and everything they did was really in your face. The riffs were sharp and really consistent. Every song had a downright enjoyable and jolting sensation to it. Their hard rock blues tones mixed with funky grooves got me moving. Most of the crowd seemed to be getting into it as well. Bones looked they were having a good time as well. There was a lot of movement and they were joking with the crowd. I’ve always said this, if the band is having fun, it’s more likely the crowd is having fun with them. That was certainly the case here. The only thing I didn’t like was there was no real presence of bass. Meaning that some of the riffs just fizzled out at times. The remedy for this is just to have a bass guitar in the band somewhere. I think some people forget how important the bass is in rock music. It would make their sound a little bit more whole. They were exciting, interesting and got my attention. I will be looking out for more of their music. If I get a chance to watch them again, consider me a happy man.

As I’ve already mentioned that I haven’t seen Band of Skulls in a long time. So it was thrilling to get to see them again. All I can say is, wow. They blew me away on this night. The setlist was well made. Consisting of a great mixture of old and new, big hits and the little album gems. No matter how big of a fan you are of the band, be it casual or hardcore. There were definitely something here for you. They entered the stage in a calm dignified manner. Then exploded into their brand of blues-inspired garage rock. The crowd went crazy people dancing jumping and just, in general, having a great time. Their riffs were well executed and the bass was thundering over the brilliant beat. The keys and synth was a nice touch. Creating a nice atmosphere over the heaviness of the band. Softening the heavy blow of the rock itself.

I will admit I was having a good time. Having not seen them in a long time, when they played their older material, I had a bit of a nerd out. Their intensity was only matched by their charisma. As they engaged the crowd and the lovely people of Manchester obliged. Clapping, singing and rocking out to whatever Band of Skulls pumped out. It’s really interesting hearing a band with such an alternative, yet an accessible mainstream sound. At one minute they’re playing a relatively simple rock song. Then they switch it up to a weird and alternative sound. Meaning they quite the varied set and send everyone home happy. In all honesty, I was just happy to finally hear songs like: The Devil Takes Care of His Own, Hoochie Coochie and I Feel Like Ten Men… live. Let me tell you they all sounded incredible. I can honestly I no problems with their set. Just blisteringly go rock music from start to finish. I guess you could say it was… So Good.