The only reason you need
Hundred Reasons return to Manchester and it’s a little disappointing that they only manage to half fill the Academy 2. Once hailed (along with many others over the years) as the great new hope of the UK music scene they really haven’t had much luck, first there was the whole Sony debacle and now with the latest album only being on the shelf for a month or so before they found themselves without a label once again. What HR have consistently managed to do over the years though is to write some absolutely killer tunes and tonight’s set list showcases just how good they can be.
The sound is great and it doesn’t take long for the faithful at the front to really start bouncing as the band break into ‘If I Could’. Curtis Mead is standing in for regular bassist Andy on this tour and he’s clearly having the time of his life as he sings along with pretty much every lyric. ‘Feed The Fire’ sounds great tonight, as does ‘Kill Your Own’ and when this is followed by the equally strong ‘What You Get’ it’s a timely reminder that whilst they haven’t managed to replicate the strength in depth of material from ‘Ideas Above Our Station’, if you put all the classics in one basket then you have a quite brilliant set.
The crowd may be some way from capacity but they are in fine voice and never let up from start to finish, which makes such a difference to the overall atmosphere. HR have always been a great live band and they prove it once again, returning the crowd’s enthusiasm with interest. There really aren’t any duff songs on offer tonight, the newer songs sit perfectly alongside the old classics such as an excellent rendition of ‘I’ll Find You’. They only play for an hour but it’s an hour well spent and they cram as much as possible into the set. The encore is perhaps a little predictable but then they couldn’t possibly leave without playing ‘Falter’ and ‘Silver’, both of which are met with a rapturous crowd reaction.
Hundred Reasons are a great band and they really don’t reserve the negative press that they get. Vibrant and passionate they remain one of the best live bands that this country has to offer.