YES basement is such a rite of passage for local bands in and around Manchester. The low ceiling and intimate space, exuding the perfect underground energy, presenting itself as the ideal match for emerging artists like Mleko and Hungry to leave their mark. A sold out event with a crowd, ‘Hungry’ for high-octane live music made the perfect atmosphere for the gig to come.
With the crowd already yearning for that energy from the headliner, Hungry. Mleko set up the bar high with their intricate and immersive performance. The six-piece band, reminiscent of Black Country, New Road, perfected sonic synchrony of saxophone, trumpet, bass, drums, guitar and vocals. Vocals sometimes meandering between members, adding another dynamic layer to their set. Each song felt infected by the audience's cheers between songs and erupting at their climax. A blend of aggravated electronics and brass crafted a varied soundscape, alternating between frenetic and atmospheric. Their set wasn’t just a warm up, it was an experience, setting the stage for what was to come, a perfect segue into Hungry’s performance.
Then came angst, dissonance and energy. Hungry brought all this and more, fuelling the crowd into a frenzy of movement and moshing, it was difficult to not find yourself moving to the funk this band emitted. The chaotic blend of Post-Punk and Indie-Grunge, paired with politically charged lyricism, the band delivered a performance that was as visceral as it was unapologetic. Their set, packed with raw, unfiltered energy, kicked off with a spoken word introduction from the band’s very own Bez-esque hype man, @Judesides_poet on Instagram.
“This is the itch that could send the rich into a fucking panic attack […] cos we’re all so fucking hungry, we’ll turn the Nazis to a snack […] yes, we’ll eat the fucking rich, Zuckerburger with some mash”
From the get-go, their ethos was clear, relentless and political. The band consisting of “four boys from Cambridge, ran to Manny, up the map”, the boys curated a tight set-list, combining heavy rap-like vocals and bouncing tempos making it difficult to not “jig” along. The band’s influences— “Shame, DEADLETTER and Sports Team”—were apparent but Hungry’s own unique flare shone through. Three songs in and the mosh pit was in full swing, proving their infectious momentum was impossible to resist. Ending on a high with their latest release and Spotify favourite, ‘Sick Of It’, the band left the stage with the crowd still howling for more.
Hungry are on the rise, and if this gig was anything to go by, their next release is going to be something special, so keep your ears peeled! A new 4 track EP, 'Are You The Best Yet' is soon to be released. To bring the show to a close, the frontman gave thanks to the other bands that supported, (WHTVRMNS and Mleko), Hot Take and live music- nights like this remind us of why we turn up, tune in, and let the noise takeover.
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