On Saturday 9th November, I was invited to The Retro in Manchester for 5-piece “Paradyme’s” very own sold out show. It was a night full of classy covers, camaraderie and overall impressive levels of showmanship. Having had the opportunity to interview the band before, their “ability to put on a show” was clearly evident, as the crowd clung on to every last ounce of lead singer Louis Garret’s confidence and flair as a frontman.
By the time I’m writing this, their 2nd single “Me and You” is available for streaming on all major platforms having been released on November 12th. It’s something I would highly recommend giving a chance on what they would describe as a sound which cannot be pinned towards any specific band, with influences from the likes of Joy Division, The Verve and even some elements of modern pop.
However this is no single review, so we must focus our attention to the first act of the night. “The Few” had some decent covers that sounded quite tight, considering it being what they claimed was their second ever gig. “7” by Catfish and the Bottlemen was probably their standout song, a track which has cemented it’s place into Indie-Pop heritage and was taken with clear enjoyment by the crowd on the night. For a newer band, it’s quite hard to be critical really, as in my video review of the gig (which can be found by clicking here) I described them as still “finding their feet”. Most of this probably comes from the lack of energy or presence on stage which often stems from a lack of confidence, hence this being their second gig making this factor much more understandable. It would have been nice for them to have fully filled out their slot for the full half an hour, but I think these are only little things that every early band comes to terms with at some stage or another, and with time, The Few have showed that musically they do have the potential making of a good band.
“The Lakes” were soon to follow, with their flashy gear glinting amidst the crashes and bangs of their noticeably skilful drummer. I think this aspect added to their overall sound as a group which wasn’t too heavy or overbearing, yet had enough of a kick to keep you interested. I thought their guitar pedals were used to very good effect as well, which may only be a small fact of the matter yet in the bigger picture I think it helps to exemplify how The Lakes are a band who undoubtably care very much and put a good amount of thought behind every track they play. Again though, I think in all fairness they struggled with similar factors to the The Few in regards to energy and crowd interaction on stage. For smaller bands, if they are able to put a bit more time and effort into this it can act to make their set much more memorable instead of just another half an hour of decent tunes, which in all honesty can be found anywhere in Manchester. Just that little extra push with the crowd can really make a set stand out, and I think for The Lakes this is an area they should look towards in the future, as their group sound and chemistry is evidently there, it just needs that extra piece of the puzzle.
And finally, as the story goes, Paradyme were last to take the stage as Retro began to fill itself up. Their camaraderie and general love for music shone through from the get go, as they began with an array of original songs that each carried it’s own buzz. Speaking to the band prior to the show, it was mentioned how they all take part in the songwriting, with guitarist’s George and Callum also having their own tracks “Knight in Shining Armour” and “It’s better to Burn Out than to Fade Away” played during the course of the night. For any young band, such a great distribution of talent is brilliant to see as it removes the threat of the band getting stuck into one specific sound, allowing their creativity as musicians to take precedence. Furthermore, Louis was able to showcase his own individual ability in an acoustic break that worked to great effect that night, consisting of again another quality original song as well as a great little medley with something close to perfection concerning song selection.
Next came what was quite simply an astounding cover of “Come Together” that would have blown John Lennon’s socks off. For me, this was easily the song of the night as everything in it worked perfectly, especially how they enacted their own take onto it. I wonder if perhaps even opening with this could’ve worked slightly better to really get the crowd going at the start, yet nonetheless it was still definitely a highlight for me.
As foretold by the band in our little chat before the gig, there were definitely plenty of spectacles that the crowd feasted on, and I guess if you want to know what they were then I’m afraid you’ll just have to see them live. This for me is what really made Paradyme stand out and in the knowledge of them being a band who are all genuine mates, that only made it all the more enjoyable to watch. It would have been nice to finish with an encore, yet time was the true enemy of the night so it seemed, but perhaps planning to put one in as a part of the set would’ve helped establish them further as the headline band, though I think they did a good enough job overall to not stress too much about this.
Overall, Manchester was definitely won over by the youth that night as bags of potential from all 3 of the teenage band’s bustled inside Retro. In regards to Paradyme, I would highly encourage you to support the local music scene and get out to see them as they quite simply will not let you down, providing something we all know and love, value for your money! It was great to be able to meet and chat to such a sound group of lads, and I know it definitely won’t be the last time that I’m seeing them.
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