Fu Manchu • Birmingham academy 2
As I waited outside the Carling academy in Birmingham I was unsure of what to expect from the night to come. There were few people queuing to get in but I sensed an air of anticipation from them. Tonight saw Academy 2 showcase Fu Manchu in their return to the UK supported by Swedish Fuzz rockers, Truck Fighters.
The first support had only been organised 3 hours prior to the gig but they pulled off a great set and got what crowd was there into the mood for the evening.
Truck Fighters then took to the small academy 2 stage at around quarter past eight and exploded with pure grit and determination. Not only did they play a set which was energetic and enjoyable but they showed a belief in their music and a determination to get the crowd to love it as much as they do. The unbelievably dirty guitar sound was complimented by great vocals and changes in pace throughout the set.
By far the most impressive part of the Truck Fighters performance was the energy they had on stage. From start to finish Ozo (Bass and Vocals) was head banging with enthusiasm, and guitarist, Dango was bouncing so high you could even see his head over the crowd if you lay down. This bouncing continued throughout until he jumped so high that he mistimed his landing and fell over into his cab. Crew members ran on stage to put microphones back in place and in the space of ten seconds he was back up and jumping again.
Their performance was enthusiastic and got heads nodding, but it was clear to see that the crowd were here for one band and one band only.
Fu Manchu have been making music for nearly two decades and over this time have obviously built up a hardcore fan base. The fact that this fan base spans such a wide age range was incredible to see. There were bearded men in bikers jackets, teenagers in Fu Manchu T-shirts and even a few mum’s and dad’s with their teenage children.
By the time Fu Manchu came to the stage the academy had filled up nicely but was far from heaving. They appeared to rapturous applause and kicked straight in with the Typical Fu Manchu style of heavy groove. “Evil Eye” got the crowd chanting and it was clear to see that Fu Manchu had developed an awful lot of stage presence over the 19 years they have been together. “Shake it Loose” from new album “We Must Obey” created the first mosh pit of the night and was to be the first of many.
As Fu Manchu have had over 11 releases in their time it is inevitable that fans will have many favourites to choose from. The Task Fu Manchu had, was trying to make everybody happy.
During a moments silence to tune up the crowd started to shout out the names of their favourite songs. This continued throughout the set and Scott Hill (Lead Vocals and guitar) laughed throughout as he was bombarded with requests from the crowd. He discussed these appeals and teased members of the crowd making them wait for their favourite songs.
By the end of the set one persistent crowd member had obviously warn Scott down as he gave in and played “Asphalt Rising” to many people’s delight.
The performance was passionate and incredibly tight. The band is still at the top of their game and it is obvious to see why they are still around after all these years. Although the performance wasn’t as physically energetic as the Truck Fighters, Fu Manchu spoke through their music which created a whole different kind of energy. In the end people left Birmingham academy with a great sense of satisfaction from seeing a great band play great music, whether it was what they requested or not.