Be Their Friend!
After two reasonably successful single releases it's something of a surprise that The Hedrons get a woefully small turn out for their return to Manchester. Numerous people leave after the support band and there can't be more than twenty five people left in the venue, with only half of them in front of the stage by the time The Hedrons play.
The size of the crowd doesn't seem to have any bearing on the quality of the performance however and those that weren't here tonight missed out big time. From the speedy intro and equally fast 'Stop, Look and Listen' to set closer 'Once Upon A Time' The Hedrons are on top form tonight. The sound is the best of the four times I've seen them play thus far and it makes a real difference, most notably with Rosie's guitar playing; never loud enough in the past tonight everything comes through perfectly and she really shines with a succession of excellent solos and solid riffs.
The Hedrons have real depth of quality in their material, naturally the singles 'Be My Friend' and 'I Need You' stand out but so do songs like 'Couldn't Leave Her Alone' and the title track from their forthcoming album 'One More Won't Kill Me'. Infectious choruses abound and you can't help but get carried along with the energy and enthusiasm that they put over. Vocalist Tippi is as confident as ever and it's no surprise when she jumps down into the crowd although I'm not sure anyone was expecting her to climb up on the tables!
The set is longer than on the previous occasions I've seen them this year but there are no fillers and although their version of 'Brand New Cadillac' isn't the best it's hardly a low point. Perhaps the problem with The Hedrons is that they don't fit comfortably into any particular genre, they're not hard enough for metal fans but they're too loud and upbeat for emo or indie. The simple facts though, are that The Hedrons rock! Excellent performers, solid musicians and accomplished songwriters they seemingly have it all and it's about time more people jumped on their bandwagon as it deserves to be going places. With their debut album due out in February let's hope it's not too long before they come around again and if you were at this gig, next time bring a friend!