LIVE REVIEW: Hot Milk @ O2 Ritz, Manchester

Hometowns seem to have an odd relationship with alternative music, the phrase “I hate this town, it’s so washed-up” springs to mind as perhaps one of the more negative connotating messages. Hometown shows however, always add an extra degree of excitement to every concert, and tonight’s offering is no different with Manchester based emo rockers HOT MILK returning for a sold-out show at the O2 Ritz.

First to build the energy in the room is CLARENCE, a punk rocker from London town emerging in shirt, tie, and waste coat. From the off, he shows his intention at raising the atmosphere, leaping down off the stage to face off with the front row to spark some movement. Dutifully they jump along with the music at his insistence, remaining at the barrier for the first two songs. He is a very emotive performer, dropping to his knees and writhing about the stage, blond locks thrown about as he endures every emotion of his set. There is a rawness to his performance, in part from his own admission of inexperience, but it goes without doubt that he is a striking performer. CLARENCE will certainly be someone to keep an eye on.

Rating: 6/10

Next up are a group who span the entire stage not only in energy but in numbers. Leicester based six-piece JOOLS bring bountiful aesthetics and raw political punk, with rapid raving lyrics interspersed with driving rhythms and powerful clamouring choruses. Vocalists Mitch Gordon and Kate Price emerge donning pink feather boas, the former with glorious mane and moustache that would be appropriate in Spinal Tap. Their message is explicit throughout and is one of equality and rage at that not being enforced. “Society should feel very lucky that women like me want equality and not revenge” is the message of Price to justified acclaim. Gordon struts the stage with frivolous passion, stamping in time and dropping to his knees impassioned by the issues they confront. As JOOLS’ time comes to an end, faint cheers of an encore are heard, some feat for a group who are slightly ajar from the headline band.

Rating: 8/10

The penultimate group of the night are clearly one that are almost as anticipated as our headliners with an impressive number of shirts in the room reading the name AS DECEMBER FALLS. The fourpiece emerge powerfully to their track Go Away immediately providing feel good hooks and powerful riffs. The energy of the room promptly elevates with arms raised and feet off the ground and is mirrored universally by the band, with both guitarists making best use of their wireless systems pirouetting in tandem around the stage. They utilise the response in the room, encouraging multiple singalong moments throughout the set notably for the chorus of their pop punk anthem No Money, the effectiveness of which leaves the whole group looking euphoric. Their reception can’t be denied, and AS DECEMBER FALLS have shown their prowess at raising the energy in the room flourishingly.

Rating: 8/10

With such a strong evening thus far, pressure is certainly on for HOT MILK to step up to the plate and raise the stakes further yet. Right on time the lights drop to a flickering blue, with a voiceover instructing the room to “open up the pit” in anticipation of their arrival, to which the crowd readily indulges. Emerging to a vast cheer, the power pop group get every hand in the room in the air with opener Bad Influence, delivering their mix of hard-hitting riffs, ear-worming melodies, and relatable lyrics. The opener climaxes with Hannah Mee launching her guitar across stage into the grateful arms of a crewmember. The dynamic between Mee and co-vocalist James Shaw is infectious to watch, providing a studio quality performance, all while traversing the entire face of the stage.

“Let’s lose some braincells” shrieks Mee before travelling headlong into I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead, an arguable highlight of which was Shaw breaking into Teenage Dirtbag during the acoustic bridge section to a mass of cheers. The positive energy they create is a testament to the catharsis they visibly offer for their fans. “We want everyone to feel welcome here. Right now, we’re going to pretend we don’t hate ourselves sometimes” they announce leading into I Think I Hate Myself, a track which even gets JOOLS vocalist Mitch Gordon crowd surfing over the barrier.

The added pressure of a sold-out hometown show has done nothing if not galvanise this performance and is clearly an important moment for the outfit. Returning to a venue that they confess to frequently attending as fans, to sell it out in their own right and briskly conquer. HOT MILK continue their meteoric rise, and show very little sign of slowing up any time soon.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Izzy Clayton Photography here: 

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