Everything Everything, Manchester Academy

As the second act in the most eclectic NME Awards Tour line up ever, Everything Everything find themselves in a literal ‘rock’ and hard place situation – sandwiched between this year’s indie buzz-band, The Vaccines and dubstep producing powerhouse Magnetic Man. However, right from the word ‘Ohhhhh’ of the bass-led ‘Suffragette Suffragette’, the Manchester-based quartet clearly have funk high on the manifesto – showcasing danceable hooks and a barrage of heavy guitar with plenty of opportunity to clap along.

The press tug of war about their smart, highfalutin debut album ‘Man Alive’ has brought them accolades such as the new “Pop Picassos” or, as Pitchfork remarked, the “self-absorbed musical equivalent of having twelve browsers open at the same time”, but labels make it easy to forget that there is much to enjoy about Everything Everything. Even on a non-cerebral level. Numbers like the jerky time-shifting ‘Querty Finger’ (think ‘12:51’ on E) and ‘Schoolin’’, with arguably the catchiest whistle since that pesky 3Oh! 3 song, are prime examples of where traditional art-rock influences and modern rap/RNB can bring about finger lickin’ nuggets of digestible pop. And the boys certainly know how to cut their beats live with a strong music tightness that was perhaps missing from the fluid charm of the Vaccines boys earlier in the evening.

The Everything Everything sonic collage and attention to detail is also reflected in their choice of outfits for the evening. Each member of the band dons a Devo-esque uniform, with the guitarist matching his military-stripes and black armband (who died, chaps?) with a shiny pair of white Reeboks that Kanye West might have tucked away somewhere in 24 C gold.

Overall, the band pull out all the stops to make this a performance of character and conviction. The final nod goes to vocalist Jonathan, whose Robotnik meets Chris Martin falsetto (he’ll probably hate the comparison, but then they both beat their chests on stage) on ‘Photoshop Handsome’ is both joyously executed and ensures that the crowd are excitable enough for the prospect of getting their ears blown to bits by the bassy Magnetic Man. If Everything Everything are the last thing we hear this evening, it’s surely not all bad.