Live Review: You Me At Six @ Manchester Academy 2

24 October 2008

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Standing on my own at the back of Manchester Academy 2 I’m feeling like a total loser as 16-year old girls scream and run around in excitement to see the guys in You Me At Six they hope to marry one day.

All of a sudden I’m torn away from my ‘people watching’ as eerie music blasts into the room (that kind of music you get when anyone is about to come on… with opera voices and stringed instruments. The crowd are going crazy and squeezing their bodies as far forward as they can, seemingly unaware of the rapidly rising room temperature.

By the time the guys run onto stage it feels like the little kids have already screamed themselves to death and might be ready for their way home but oh no - there’s plenty more where that comes from as the four hotties launch straight into The Truth Is A Terrible Thing.

I’m becoming more and more surprised at how good the sound quality has gotten in small venues recently and this gig is no exception as the beats of the first son ring out and make everyone move as one to the catchy chorus and addictive guitar hooks of the first song.

Singer Josh Franceschi and co can’t take the cheeky boy smiles off their gorgeous faces and it’s obvious that they feel like their in heaven being up there with hundreds of screaming fans hanging off their every note - and to be honest; who wouldn’t.

Even looking at kids who are about three years younger than me; there is no doubt that they’re one of the best looking bands around at the moment… they clearly know what’s ‘on trend’ at the moment (despite probably claiming not to care about fashion) but with the school uniforms not long behind them; who can blame them?

In all fairness to them though, they are undeniably gorgeous and at first I wondered if the reason the room was 70% full of teenage girls was just because they’d seen their posters and wanted to get I on the action, but as they throttle you with their second track Jealous Minds and swan about the stage pulling out their best ‘guitar hero’ poses in front of their massive backdrop emblazoned with their logo.

Gossip sees every person in the room (except myself - the outcast) yelling back ‘whoa woah’ as if whoever sings it loudest will impress the guys and I’m quite convinced they really think they guys will climb down off stage and sweep them up into their arms - although I wouldn’t mind it myself.

But anyway, enough about me… If You Run kicks of and the pace in the room almost reaches fever pitch as girls wail and jump around with excitement. The sound is fantastic and (as I’m spying on the sound technician) it’s fascination to watch just how much goes into making the guys sound as good as they do. But full credit to them - Josh’s fantastic voice coupled with their thrashing guitars and Dan Flint’s pace-keeping on drums just lends itself to what can only be described as an incredible show.

So as we head onwards in the set Josh and the gang get the crowd split in two for a Wall Of Death (don’t worry guys, I made sure I was well out of the way) and with the first touch of Josh’s vocals the bodies smash into each other and an immense mosh begins.. My full respect goes out to these kids giving it everything they have despite it not quite being on the same level as A Day To Remember’s pit action.

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