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Guitar scene couldn't be healthier

David Sue
9/ 7/2008

THE enduring stereotype of Manchester guitar bands is that they love nothing more than to jangle.

That’s jangle – as in jangly rhythms, jangly melodies and, most certainly, jangly guitars. Of course, it’s a horribly misguided stereotype and completely misrepresentative of the city’s music, but given the recent success of bands like The Courteeners, it’s a myth that’s likely to stick around for some time yet.

How to dissolve those stereotypes? For a growing underground of guitar bands, the answer is simple – you turn the guitars from ‘jangle’ setting, and flip them to ‘rock’.

But let’s make this clear, that’s not ‘rock’ as in Emo-rock, nor in an ironic heavy metal way – no, this is in the old fashion, amplifiers-turned-up-to-11 sense.

The sort of sweat-drenched music that worships at the altar of Motörhead or Red Hot Chili Peppers, and most certainly wouldn’t impress your grandparents.

The band who most certainly embody this ‘shock factor’ approach are To the Bones.

Hailing from Bolton, the punk-metal four-piece are renowned for their X-rated ethos – from blood-stained video shoots to sometimes brutally violent stage shows.

But behind the headlines, they have the epic songs to match the formidable scariness – debut single Sharkie’s Bone Symphony has been compared to Nirvana, and the band’s singer Rhys Bradley certainly does have something of Kurt Cobain’s howling intensity to him.

Provided you’re not too scared already, To the Bones’ next Manchester live show is at Club Academy on August 22.

Another band famed for their confrontational live performances are Carjack Mallone.

The closest thing Manchester has to a true stadium rock band, they’re unashamed in their bold, populist ambitions – citing influences like Queen and Foo Fighters, they proudly profess to write "songs which are fit for gigantic stadiums".

Listen to songs like Just Maybe, and you’re inclined to agree, whilst the band’s live concerts are like one huge sweaty moshpit where fans are likely to get a few bumps and bruises in the name of punk rock excitement.

Join in yourself when the band play Club Academy on July 19. With a similar emphasis on ear-shredding anthems are the suitably named Grand Volume.

The south Manchester band have been around for a few years, building up a ferocious live reputation and bringing a certain finesse and intricacy to the world of metallic rock.

The hotly-tipped fourpiece mix ear-battering rock melodics with occasional prog-rock sensibilities, and end up sounding like Manchester’s answer to Muse but with (thankfully) less pomposity.

Their next live outing is at Manchester Roadhouse on Friday, August 1.