Little Comets - Club Academy, Manchester (12/10/2010)

So I eventually got to see Little Comets live at Manchester Academy. They were supporting New York's own Darwin Deez. After a short delay, which I filled by going to quench my thirst at the bar and catching some of the England vs. Montenegro game, Robert Coles' Geordie accent ensued.

The room was packed with teenagers who seemed to be lapping it up. It appeared that Little Comets have a bigger following than I had first realised. There was a pretty girl near the front, singing every word, eyes glazed over in a heavenly trance.

Isles sounds like a soundtrack of a whole host of British culture in the near future just like Blur's Parklife was in the Nineties. The ever enthusiastic Robert Coles sings, 'In the B.R.I.T.I say British Isles, the streets are bleak the kids are running wild'.

You can never truly judge a band before you have heard/ seen them live. I think I have made this point before but it is a valid one and it is important to stress when reviewing Little Comets. Their single, Isles, which is to be released on October 18, is a decent, catchy tune when listened to at home but to really appreciate the track, you have to hear the sound coming directly from Robert Coles' passionate, emotive gob.

They go on to sing 'Joanna' and seem to enjoy performing it more than any of their other tracks. They are laughing and smiling at each other throughout the song. Due to their accent, it sounds like Little Comets are singing a made up word, 'chuanga' - I assumed that was what they were so amused at but no. Regardless of how fun the song is due to the band's enjoyment, it is hard not to warm to it with its high tempo and Robert Coles' Enthusiastic delivery and equally fervent backing vocals. In fact, I am going to keep singing, 'chuanga' instead of 'Joanna' because it makes me laugh.

'Adultery' is another 'feel good' track, despite it's title. At first you hear a happy, scratching guitar intro, played by Michael Coles (yes, it is another band of brothers) and you expect the song to be about loving a girl but Robert Coles goes on to explain that, 'this is a tale of a boy of a man of a girl of a wife' and you start to see the story in the song coming to light. It is another very catchy song and by this point, I am starting to sweat with the musical waves Little Comets are bombarding me with. My skin is tingling and I am reminded that live music can be fun if the band you are watching care about the quality of their performance.

Drummer, Mark Harle, has to be given credit as he is the engine of the musical machine behind little Comets' live performance. He keeps the tempo fast and he keeps Robert Coles' consonants in time.

Prior to the gig, the only song of theirs that I knew well was, 'Isles', but they bowled me over with songs I had never heard before or only remembered vaguely and I left Club Academy wanting to buy their album whenever it comes out.