All hail the new kings of live music

A couple of years ago I was introduced to a new band by my girlfriend. They were coming to Manchester on tour and she waxed lyrical about their both their music and energetic live show. Soon, her cries were echoed and joined by those of her sister who also suggested that I was in for a treat watching them perform in the flesh.

Being a real sucker for a good old fashioned sing-a-long, I decided to listen to their album first to get an idea of which songs had lyrics worthy of committing to memory - I am hugely accomplished at making up words on the spot when either I forget them or do not know them and am fully confident in my own mind that at least 70% of them are usually correct. However, I thought that if this was to be the pinnacle of my live music experiences, it would be worthwhile going fully armed with at least a couple of choruses.

On hearing the album for the first time I thought that although it was a solid rock/ punk offering with some catchy tunes it was not overly special - imagine Oasis's third album and you will know what I mean. Not quite a 'Definitely Maybe' or 'What's the Story...' but nevertheless a good album in it's own right with it's fair share of barnstorming rock numbers with memorable choruses. However, when I went to see them live I was absolutely blown away. As the singer climbed the dizzyingly high speaker stack for the third time that evening and threw himself into the crowd, I thought to myself that he had probably expended more energy in a single hour than I normally do in a whole month. The gig was over in a flash but the lasting memories will stay for a long time - this was old school rock and roll played with an energy and urgency that most modern bands seem to lack. There was no posturing, no pouting and no arrogant rants at either the crowd or the establishment. This was a sweaty, passionate, high speed adventure into the land of 70's rock excesses. Windmilling guitar arms, head banging choruses, epic stage diving and best of all, a front man who seemed the real deal. He was loving it up on the stage, as were the rest of the band, and with his naked torso drenched in sweat as he whirled around incessantly, he was reminiscent of an early Iggy Pop fueled by an neverending supply of adrenaline and eating up the stage as he moved from one side to the next.

It was pure genius as far as a live experience goes - the entire crowd was with him all of the way and I felt slightly isolated in the fact that I did not know every single word of every single song. Normally at a live gig, the excitement of the headline band taking the stage creates such an outpouring of energy that the crowd jump around like demented half lit silhouettes and sing their hearts out for the first few numbers. However, this energy level normally subsides four or five songs into the set and everyone settles into a steady rhythm only getting possessed again for the big numbers and set finale. Not so at this gig. The energy levels went through the roof the minute the band appeared on stage and did not dip or subside until the last note had been played and the band has left us alone to recover from our excesses. I have never seen such a phenomenal display of commitment and downright joy from an audience before - it was if the frontman had somehow passed on his energy levels to the crowd and challenged them to keep up with him for the evening.

As I said earlier, their music will not win any awards. But nor should it because in the traditions of the great old rock and roll bands of the 70's, these guys are about the live experience. Buy their album and never see them live and you will never truly understand what they are about. The songs are merely a vehicle for them to connect with their fans and serve only as a backdrop to one of the most amazing stage shows you are likely to see.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the band in question is The Subways.