Getintothis

The Oh Sees, Prettiest Eyes: Albert Hall, Manchester

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By on Live reviews

The Oh Sees

The Oh Sees brought another Castleface riot to the Albert Hall and Getintothis’ Lucy McLachlan joined in the pint throwing.

It’s only been a year since the San Francisco noise makers last graced Manchester’s Albert Hall but it feels like we rarely get a chance to see the Oh Sees.

If like us and you’re more around the Liverpool area, they last packed out the Kazimier at Sound City 2013. And even then you were lucky to squeeze in.  With 2013 and the original Kazimier long gone, we’ve had to travel to another city  to go find them.

Thinking about it, the Oh Sees have probably changed their name five times since 2013, TWICE alone in 2017.

Tonight they’re bringing with them newest and twenty first album (in just 12 years…) Smote Reverser, released just last year.

At 8pm a healthy crowd is already forming for LA drone punk band Prettiest Eyes.

This group have already been on our radar as ones to look out for with a decent cult following and two albums to keep you going.

All dressed in black with bass player Marcos Rodriguez wearing a classic preacher man hat, they fit in well with the church atmosphere and with just a trio of keyboards, drums and bass, make enough noise to blow the roof of the Albert Hall before the Oh Sees have even begun.

Singer and drummer Pachy Garcia is crawling over the stage, standing on the drum kit whilst Rodriguez bounces round and keyboardist Paco Casanova has all the hair flips. It’s a full on energetic blast to watch.

Catch these for the live show alone, you won’t be disappointed.

We don’t have a long wait for our main act. The crowd are pumped up from Prettiest Eyes and even tiny glimpses of John Dwyer hovering round the stage as it’s getting set up has the audience cheering.

The atmosphere is electric before they’ve even begun. There are two drum kits front and centre of the stage and we’re being offered ear plugs by venue staff- it’s gonna be loud. There’s one man next to us who’s incredibly excited calling Dwyer the greatest ever rock n roll star. Another who’s watched all their YouTube videos none stop for a year in preparation. This crowd is hardcore.

Most of the band are already onstage and just start, no big entrance, no song to walk on to. They don’t need it, Dwyer’s onstage persona and two massive drum kits are clearly enough.

Straight away the crowd goes nuts and we instantly get completely soaked from a full pint of beer in the photo pit during the first song.  Apologies if the photos are a bit misty.

Drummers Paul Quattrone and Dan Rincon are powering away simultaneously at the front of the stage, the rest of the band are hidden behind the drum kits.  Dwyer is off to the left a ball of energy flying back and forth from the microphone.

The crowd are with them from the beginning and there’s no lull. It’s pure madness from start to finish. Everyone’s had a go at throwing a pint in the air as if you get one extra at the bar just to chuck up and away over a sea of heads.

It’s all the high powered guitar jam noise you’d be expecting and the crowd add to the whole spectacle.

It’s one of those shows you genuinely don’t want to end because the atmosphere is that electric. Except maybe for the band who, playing solidly at break neck speed for nearly two hours look deservingly exhausted by the end.

The ten minute walk back to Oxford Road station will be the cool down we need after that one.

Images by Getintothis’ Lucy McLachlan

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