GIG: METZ

Review by John Cooper

Metz - live at the Soup Kitchen 28.01.13

The Soup Kitchen is well suited for tonights show by Canada's Metz (who are signed to the legendary Sub-Pop label), with its dingy, paint peeling off the brickwork cellar-like appearance - it works with the no nonsense no frills approach of the band - even their lighting is just plain white static spotlights.
It was obvious that this was gonna get loud right from the moment the band kick off (opening with "Knife In The Water") with their hardcore garage punk grunge sound backed by sheer energy - their drummer at times just a blur of hair and arms (reminiscent of Nirvana era Dave Grohl). It only takes them a couple of songs to warm up the crowd and by the time they play their third song "Get Off" the audience are completely drawn in to this sonic assault, and give back the band some of that energy when the whole room erupts as the band kick into "Sad Pricks". The buzz from the audience and the frenzy of the mosh pit doesn't let up to the very last moment of the gig. Even a brief interruption between songs due to technical difficulties doesn't wain the crowds anticipation for more and they are duly rewarded with the set closer "Wet Blanket" which is delivered as a full on growing audio onslaught with guitarist/singer Alex Edkins screaming "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO" and builds to a deafening finale . The lights go down for a minute or two with the crowd repeatedly begging for "one more song" - and Metz come back on to rip it up one last time with their one song encore of "Ratz". In a space of 45 minutes my ears are ringing and I feel mentally exhausted, but I cant wait for the next time Metz are playing in Manchester.