{SPUNGE} Manchester Academy 3 (21/02/03) Joel Gibb from The Hidden Cameras said it best when he summed up indie gigs as “People standing around in a smoke filled room, laughing at people attempting to dance”. You say it is never going to happen to you, but the transition creeps up on you like a stranger and you find that you are not long into your twenties, when you spend your time cursing a beautiful day waiting for the next Charlatans gig. Tonight, I make my way to a safe observing point as opening act Graveltrap get the fun going with their pleasing brand of emo, ska punk with a sound pitched somewhere between Greenday and tonight’s headliners. The raucous track ‘Getaway’ was the highlight that helped get the party started and some good old fashioned skanking. I find myself two feet nearer to the stage, as a result of what must have been an involuntary act during the first band’s set, as American punks Never Heard Of It hit the stage and their infectious brand of pop punk saw a surge of energy bigger than anything Sellafield has ever seen. They are New Found Glory with better songs, more spirit and soon got the crowd buzzing. | |