The Charlatans return to Manchester with indie heavyweights Embrace and The Coral in tow – a mouth watering bill for any indie fan.

THE CORAL

One of the best things about The Coral is that even with a paltry 30 minute set, they can still pack in a raft of crowd pleasing hits. Bill McCai opens the set and there are early airings for Simon Diamond and Pass It On.

On this bill, the Liverpudlians are the young upstarts – it is crazy to think that The Coral have been releasing 60’s inspired psychedelia since the early noughties. In recent years, The Coral have released a clutch of really great albums that some might say have slipped under the radar. Lover Undiscovered from Coral Island is a beautiful piece and one of the best songs the band have ever written.

For all the diamonds in the rough, it is the ‘hits’ that amp the crowd. In The Morning is a proper earworm and set closer, Dreaming Of You, is emphatic – the wry smile James Skelly has as the crowd sing loud is a brilliant sight. Throw in a cover of The Doors’ People Are Strange and you have all the ingredients of a perfect set to start an evening.

EMBRACE

Embrace are still in the throes of celebrating 20 years of 2004’s Out Of Nothing. Ashes is a huge crowd pleaser with the crowd clapping along to the pumping beat. The Chris Martin penned Gravity has people with arms around each other and a little misty eyed.

Refugees has Richard McNamara taking the lead on vocals and Natures Law is also a big hit for the band. In the noughties, Embrace produced a string of big singles that clearly still resonate today. Danny McNamara interacts with the crowd throughout in his own inimitable way. He encourages the crowd to involve themselves, and they oblige. There is a charm in the interactions that are completely endearing.

Much of the power of Embrace is still housed in the tracks from their debut record. One Big Family was always a great stomper when played live. It still hits today and it rocks live. On this night, Embrace go with All You Good Good People to start. Danny McNamara counts off 4 on one hand, mic in hand before throwing his arms in the air as the music drops. The crowd bat back the words loudly as the band bristle with energy. All in all; Embrace continue to warm the crowd before The Charlatans.

THE CHARLATANS

Whilst The Coral and Embrace are stellar support, neither have the catalogue of absolute hits that The Charlatans do. Setting their own scene via nods to Brian Wilson and Sly Stone on the PA, the band take the stage to Sly & The Family Stone’s Time For Livin’. Immediately, the organic whirl of Tony Rogers’ keys for Forever rise from the stage and Martin Blunt’s bass thunders around the arena. Tim Burgess is all smiles as he walks on stage, arms aloft.

From here, The Charlatans deliver a masterclass in setlist crafting, rattling off a string of huge crowd pleasers. Weirdo and North Country Boy build a fervour that the band create so adeptly. All the while, Tim Burgess bounds around the stage, dressed in leather pants and rainbow coloured hooped jumper. His black jacket is dispensed with as superb versions of Here Comes A Soul Saver and Just When You’re Thinking Things Over see swathes of joy sweeping across Castlefield Bowl.

Toothache’s cutting guitar riff from Mark Collins suits the songs title. Burgess acknowledges that it is thirty years since the album it is house on was released. There is a feel this being a celebration of that album. Just Lookin’ gives another nod to the album later in the set.

WE ARE LOVE

For all the enduring songs that The Charlatans clearly love playing, they still have space to throw an eye on the future. We Are Love is a new one that has a title befitting for this band. The love they bring to many is wonderful. As We Are Love concludes, the unmistakable introduction to One To Another reverberates around the bowl. The passing trains get a birds eye view of the masses all bouncing along to a truly classic indie anthem.

Impossible has Burgess on the harmonica whilst continually dancing like no one is watching in all parts of the stage. He frequently interacts with the crowd off mic at the front whilst looking like he is having the time of his life. The crowd jump up a notch as The Only One I Know’s iconic opening rings out. It prompts a huge singalong and How High follows in the same vein.

BETWEEN 10TH & 11TH

A lengthy encore break ends as the band return to Between 10th & 11th with the lesser aired I Don’t Want To See The Sights. It is not often that bands throw in a new track for their encore but The Charlatans have earned the right after the set they have already delivered. Many A Day A Heartache adds to We Are Love as new tracks included. If this is a sign of things to come, the next album from The Charlatans will be brilliant.

In a completely unsurprising turn of events, The Charlatans close out with the epic Sproston Green. It is their calling card; and like set opener Forever, it is a hulking song that has the crowd at the front getting busy. Hearing this song wrap itself around the urban surroundings of this great city just confirms The Charlatans’ legendary status.

It is a celebratory night. “This is Castlefield Bowl arena. This is Manchester. We are The Charlatans,” says Burgess to a huge ovation. Personally, The Charlatans are a band that this writer has grown up with; on this night, they are in the form of their lives – their arsenal of songs is huge, and the swagger they have is legendary. Long live The Charlatans.

The Charlatans: Website / X / Facebook / Instagram

Embrace: Website / Facebook / X / Instagram

The Coral: Website / Facebook / X / Instagram

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