Reviews
AKOUSTIK MANNING - Supporting MAGENTA at thE ROBIN2, BILSTON - APRIL 2009
Akoustik Manning can best be explained by Guy Manning himself, "I was going to
say the slimmed down version of Manning, but I don't think I can get away with
it any more." The band is made up of vocals, two acoustic guitars, bass,
keyboards and flute. They opened with Silent Man, from the album A Matter Of
Life & Death, and "this one's about death". It has a dramatic sound to start,
upbeat, hard, with the flute coming in, making Jethro Tull references obvious,
Guy's vocals are forceful, strident, and the track eases into a keyboard part,
which in turn leads into the flute, developing the theme, before the guitar
races away into a big finish. Next up is Clocks, a more gentle start, with fast
picking on guitar, the bass keeps a steady beat while everything else races
around it, a light feel to the other instruments, flowing, the vocals melodic,
guitars drifting now, the breezy feel added to by the flute, which is weaving in
and out, and the track picks up on a bouncy feel. Guy then introduces the band
while he is trying to tune, Kris Hudson-Lee on bass, David Million on lead
acoustic, Phil Wilkes on keyboards and the flautist (or should that be 'flutist'
? Apparently there is debate on the matter) has left the stage for now, but
"I'll introduce Steve separately because he's a special guest, rather than
special needs, Phil." Guy explains that he writes "about death and water" and
this one is about water. The guitar intro is drifting for Castaways, the sound
picks up, is dramatic, but is still drifting, with Guy's vocals over the top of
it all. Then the tempo picks up and the track moves on, before calming and
drifting again, but bringing back that sense of drama, Phil's keyboards building
the atmosphere in the background as the vocals soar, then it eases again and
quietens to a close. The flautist is back on stage, and is introduced as Steve
Dundon, on loan from Molly Bloom, but he has forgotten to bring his flute (not a
'flaut') back on stage with him ! Anyway, once he is ready they get into
Margaret Montgomery, their song about a white witch, and it has a wonderful
Scottish feel to the opening, a lovely flute sound, rolling along, upbeat, in
the best tradition of folk rock, and it really seems to suit Guy's vocals. And
there is certainly a feeling of that early Genesis sound in this one. The tempo
picks up for the chorus, a deep sound, rounded melody, before the tempo changes,
becomes more strident, a stacatto feel but with the flute still flowing, a
dramatic, racing, martial sound, before the tempo returns to how it had been,
but with the vocals more forceful, then it eases and drifts on. The sound
becomes stronger as we move into the chorus again, and then it rocks on to the
close. It is such a well crafted song, and tells its story so well.
Antares is from the Songs From The Bilston House album (yes, this Bilston,
although a different 'house'), and is a "song about water and death". The
gentle guitar intro from David moves in waves, building into a big sound which
leads into a melodic chorus. It weaves and swirls, has a gentle sway to it,
then builds again into a very big sound, which then floats out, eases, then
floats off again, until it finally eases once more into the end. Valentine's
Night is off the excellent new album, Number Ten (yes, it is Manning's tenth
album), and is about vampires, beginning with the guitar ticking, the keyboards
mirroring the sound over the top of the guitar, Kris' bass thumps a beat under
it, while the vocals are powerful over the top of it all. The track picks up
pace and moves on, quite bouncy, with a grand sound from the keyboards. It
eases before building again and the vocals soar, then it eases again into a
keyboard sound, very much a tinkling sound, and the track finishes with the
guitar ticking again. Next up is In My Life, opening with vocals and a
strumming guitar, and then the gentle pace begins to pick up, the track becomes
more dramatic, atmospheric, the vocals more forceful, before it eases down into
a guitar part, and it is just the vocals with the acoustic guitar again, until
the keyboards join in and it picks up for the chorus. It keeps that tempo
going, even racing at times, then eases and fades to a close. They finish with
the superb Lost In Play, another from the Songs From The Bilston House album,
which was also featured on the Classic Rock ProgSpawn CD - it has a very up
tempo intro, the audience are clapping along, then bouncy keyboards and it has
moved into a most wonderful melody. It eases for the vocals and piano, then
gradually builds into a powerful sound, racing now, pausing into a keyboard and
flute part which is pure Jethro Tull at their folk rock best, then dramatic
guitar strumming comes in with the bass and the sound is glorious, a flowing
keyboard solo, which is taken on by the flute, swirling, soaring, the track
still bouncing along, very up tempo as the vocals come in again and it moves on
to a big finish - and if that song does not put a skip in your step then nothing
will. This was a great performance and leaves me looking forward to the full
Manning set at The Peel on 6 June. Before then you can catch them at the
Classic Rock Society in Rotherham on 25 April.
James Allen
