Saturday night before Halloween and the streets of Manchester are teeming with pissed-up partygoers. A queue stretching up past The Ritz looks like those waiting to get in are actually off to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show rather than whatever club night is happening within. Off Oxford Road, the basement of YES is filling up with its own pissed-up partygoers, a fair number of punters dotted about in fancy dress for the big day tomorrow.
Londoners WOOZE – headlining the regular ‘Mood Swings‘ gig night – seemingly treat every day like Halloween the way they’re normally attired, the main pairing of Jamie She and Theo Spark forever looking super cool in whatever they’ve found in their extensive wardrobe that day.
They’re a stylish bunch no doubt and I love that they’re suitably dressed for the soundcheck, arriving on stage to set up gear – drummer She in a Dick Tracy style yellow suit, vocalist Spark in an eye popping designer tracksuit and the bassist in a fetching raspberry beret and big collared Chris De Burgh type jacket. Having popped off stage, they return minutes later – the bassist and guitarist transforming in the interim, bringing to the stage Squid Game x Nun realness, whilst Spark sticks on a matching hat to go with the tracksuit, soon pushed off his head minutes in to reveal a shock of red hair.
Lots of smoke drifts off stage, past the pair right at the front dressed like the band, for opener ‘Tu Es Moi‘, from their latest EP ‘Get Me To A Nunnery‘. Known for guitar hero theatrics, Spark doesn’t take long to get started, soon whipping the guitar behind his head on early single ‘Hello Can You Go‘, which is greeted with much fanfare in response.
“Guys, I had a dream…” We’re told by Spark, the vocalist’s plan to wear the tracksuit top all evening faltering. “I can’t do it…” He laments, taking it off to reveal a skin tight tank top. Were you really going to wear that top all night, Theo? Come on… The guitarist and bassist were well ahead of the curve when it comes to their face coverings. This pandemic lark has clearly been taking its toll mind, as the bassist can’t help himself pulling it down, fiddling with it all night when singing along on the likes of ‘Witch Slap (IOU)‘.
An impromptu singing of Coldplay’s ‘Yellow‘ bleeds into the funky bop of ‘Ladies Who Lunch With Me‘, followed swiftly by something new – a proper head-swivelling bouncy number. For the uninitiated, WOOZE are like if art-poppers Sparks dipped a toe into math-rock. On ‘Zeus’ Masseuse‘ they push the math-rock and offer up Battles vibes, whilst on ‘Mighty Cloud‘ the bassist makes weird hand gestures, conjuring up guitar wizardry from his identikit guitarist on the other side of the stage.
Though the stage looks small (we’ve seen people smack their heads off the speakers before), Spark jumps up on the bass drum and riffs above She as bodies pop up and down in front of the stage, before he’s down again and going back to back with the bassist.
New one ‘Hugh Jacksman‘ might go out as a single we’re told, all dependant on crowd reaction. The makings of a ripper, the middle of the room pit suggests it’ll be the next one for certain! This kicks things off good and proper for the rest of the evening and on ‘Cousin Paul from Paddington‘, the pit gets dialled up a notch, one lad taking his top off (isn’t there always one?), whilst on stage Spark is carrying out his now renowned guitar gymnastics (literally hand-standing with the guitar).
‘I’ll Have What She’s Having‘ seems a highlight for all, people in the crowd singing back the main riff before drummer She comes in with his robot like vocal. Bodies go up to surf before a circle pit opens up, leaving all who enter it drenched in sweat.
It seems alarming still that WOOZE aren’t headlining in bigger rooms, yet selfishly, one hopes that they’re playing sweaty basement shows for a good while yet, if tonight is anything to go by.
(Photo Credit: Julian Buchan)
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