Tonight we are back at Gorilla in Manchester for 10 Year Anniversary show of local band Ist Ist. Their experience clearly shone through on the night which felt like almost a celebration of how far the band have come so far and how much further they are still able to go.
It was a nice touch from the band to commence proceedings with a video appearing across the stage. It went over much of the band’s history as well as thanking everyone who’s stuck by them thus far which I believed was a very personal touch to their fanbase who they have clearly built some very close ties with
As mentioned in my video review of the night which can be found by clicking here, the overall sound reminded me a lot of The Chameleons with the lead singer Adam Houghton’s rich vocals slotting perfectly into the overall mix of the track. It gave the chance to catch much of the thought provoking lyricism which is often a sweet rarity and was nice to be blessed with.
They seemed very grateful for their success thus far which in no doubt is incredibly well deserved as shown through their professionalism, confidence, charisma and tight-knit nature as a group.
Furthermore, with Mat Peter’s doubling up on synth’s and guitar alongside powerful, intricate drumming, it gave a very anthemic feel overall best represented with how Adam would repeatedly pound his fist into the palm of his hand in unison with the kick of the drums. This past decade has certainly proven to have taught them how to develop a sound and how to bring success from it.
That being said, I did feel like a considerable chunk felt very repetitive, with little standing out or appearing particularly different from the rest. I think that 2 or 3 songs on your playlist could work for most people, but in my opinion an hour and a half felt a bit too far drawn out.
I suppose that if this style of music was for you or you were a long time fan of the band then the standing wouldn’t have felt so tedious. Yet I think this band are definitely an acquired taste who have done a very good job of targeting their niche. Myself and my friend Milo were easily some of the youngest there on the night at 17 and 18 respectably and I think we both enjoyed our time at the gig, but probably wouldn’t consider ourselves converted into the Ist Ist army.
Nights out in Manchester are always a fun little ride, hopefully we’ll be back out again soon looking for more underground gems!
Massive thanks to Ist Ist for inviting us down,
The Paperback Writer.
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