Rivet City – Live Review at The Castle Hotel, Manchester - 7/8/15

On the back of recording a series of singles to be released in 2015, Rivet City’s sell out gig at The Castle Hotel, Manchester was one hailed as their most important to date. Maybe it wasn’t their biggest in terms of crowd numbers, but rather in the sense that this was their chance to announce who they are and what they’re about going forward.

Formerly known as ‘Albino Gorilla’, Rivet City’s new breed of music escapes their former self. There’s a maturity in their approach to song writing, consisting of funky and smooth melodies layered to punchy lyrics delivered with an attitude that demonstrates the class and potential of this young Manchester band.

Having followed Rivet City from being a young, fresh faced covers band playing local pubs, this was my chance to see how they’ve progressed on the live stage. After recently listening to several of their newly recorded singles, there was an intrigue to see how these impressive set of songs would be performed live.

Before then, a deja vu situation arose with the solitary supporting band, The Isrights. Playing a series of covers with the odd original song thrown in, it was almost a carbon copy of how I first encountered Rivet City. The way they performed each cover with remarkable similarity was testament to the promising talent these young lads showed, comparable to how the main act started.

The sell out crowd then crammed into the venue for Rivet City. The youthfulness of the ‘Albino Gorilla’ era had disappeared, with each band member making the transition from boys to men since our last meeting. The image of the band may have changed, but what remains is the confidence and swagger of singer Jake Breeze along with the consistent, natural flair that’s always been present amongst the musicians.

The set starts off in funky fashion that gets the crowd swaying, but they become more animated when second track, ‘Second Hand’, is played, confirming the transformation from a grungy outfit to a funky indie alt/rock creation. Jake’s vocals rasp and growl through each song, conveyed in a unique style that merges hip hop and rock. His passion is evident for all to see as he loses himself in the performance whilst maintaining a solid rapport with the audience. ‘Circles’ carries on the funky flow with great rhythm being shown in the riffs and melodies. ‘Difference’ then follows, a real dreamy indie track that’s suited to the absence summer sun in August.

A big announcement is then due, where Jake proudly states the band will be embarking on a UK tour soon, which is cause for celebration before they play personal favourite, ‘Satin’, an audacious and smooth tune with inventive lyrical content and portrayals of freedom, especially with the lyric, “I’m just here for the ride” resonating with the crowd. The first of the series of singles to be released, ‘Footslogger’, is next and the crowd singing the lyrics back to the band shows the effect they are having.

Instead of an encore, they simply launch into the final song, ‘Songs For The Kids’, one that has been in the bands back catalogue, giving their closest fans cause for merriment before the set finishes.

This was seen as an important gig for Rivet City and they ultimately delivered. The raw ingredients of a band carrying huge potential four years ago are starting to fall into place. They are not the finished article just yet, but there is definitely something building within the ranks. With a UK tour in the pipeline and further singles being released for the remainder of 2015, then the potential is becoming closer to being fulfilled.

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Tags: Rivet City, The Isrights