Manchester’s O2 Ritz welcomed some of the finest young Mancunian musical talents to warm up from Oldham’s wordsmith Seb Lowe, who delivered a masterful performance beyond his years to inspire socialist change.
The billing was bursting with the hottest musical prospects to come out of Manchester, with Villanelle the first to take to the Ritz’s stage. Liam Gallagher’s son Gene is a part of the band that boasted spectacular musicianship that was reminiscent of Britpop and 90s grunge. The one question on everyone’s lips was, ‘When will they release music?’ When they do, it will cause a storm in the Manchester music scene.
Support also came from teenage sensation Alex Spencer, whose stage presence was infectious, as if he had been regularly doing the touring circuits. I had to keep reminding myself that this talented singer-songwriter is only 17. On the night, he was the perfect support act who consistently engaged the crowd, but you could tell this starlet was enjoying the opportunity just as much as the crowd were witnessing it.
Standout tracks from his feel-good discography consisted of a heartfelt and energetic performance of Time For Change, along with a teaser of a new release, Fear Will Kill The Future, in which he encouraged everyone to turn their flashlights on to create a truly special moment for the young musician.
Teenage starlet Alex Spencer delivered a performance beyond his years in the second support act
slot for Seb Lowe.
The suspense was ever-growing inside the venue, which was quickly extinguished when Seb Lowe and his band walked on to The Apprentice theme tune, all donned in inflatable crowns, which later got chucked into the audience. Accompanied by his fellow band members, Kate Couriel on violin, Sam Summer playing the bass, Ben Etches leading guitar, and Joel Goodwin behind the drums, who were all kitted head to toe in suits and shirts. It was almost as if they had stumbled out of The Midland onto the stage, but there was no mistake that they belonged there, as the performance they were about to deliver verged on a masterpiece.
If you’re unfamiliar with Seb Lowe, then let me break it down quickly. Think of Eminem, mixed with Bowie and Sinead O’Connor, throw in some left-leaning political spoken word, and you’ve barely scratched the surface of how multi-faceted this musician is.
Before coming into the Ritz, I was quietly concerned about how Seb Lowe would recreate what he produces on a record. His intonations, witty lyricisms and satirical stream of consciousness give his output personality, which is why he is one of the most closely watched artists in Manchester.
But I couldn’t have been further wrong, as the Oldham wordsmith laid all of his socialist emotions on the sleeve of his velvet red blazer.
Oldham born Seb Lowe delivers a passionate performance fulled on socialist angst to a sell out O2 Ritz.
The O2 Ritz’s notoriously bouncy floor was rocking right from the outset when fan favourite Kill Him (he’s a socialist) rang throughout the venue. From that moment on, those in attendance were fuelled by Seb Lowe’s political fury. Credit where credit is due to Kate Couriel on the violin – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a live violin as part of a band, but it deserves to be a permanent fixture. She was outstanding.
The high energy continued when the singalong anthems I Fell In Love With a Talking Head and Calvaryman followed. It’s these two songs in the 21-year-olds discography that amplify that he is not just a spoken rap artist but has a phenomenal voice to accompany it.
Those streams of consciousness came to fruition in the bridge for The Royal Family. The bridge in the song shows Seb Lowe at the peak of his powers with a comical voice and catchy intonations. His most loyal following was belting every single word back to the headline act whilst moshpits were forming all around the venue.
We were teased with a new song poised to be released a few weeks after this headline tour. Jump Scare was delivered with expertise as if it’s been within the setlist for years. It sounds incredible with the hallmarks of the artists and the underlying message of growing into adulthood.
Combining spoken rap and powerful lyricism, Seb Lowe’s output is a memorising stream of consciousness.
The lyrical sensation’s raw passion and desperation for social change came through in Ode to Britannia, with that desperation panned down to the younger generation in the crowd after, “You dirty fucking communist” received the biggest roar in the whole set. We were plunged into a musical masterpiece of Killer For a Day, which received an extended play. After demonstrating composure and control in the opening, Seb Lowe’s vocal range and his band’s musical output let loose to deliver a rampant display, which was undoubtedly the best performance of the night.
Whilst there was little speaking between songs, the lyrics did plenty of speaking for Seb Lowe, who rallied his fans with his interwoven messages. The lack of an encore wasn’t surprising for someone who prides himself in not stepping in line.
But he rallied his troops back up with the feel-good anthem iPhone, which left little to be desired from his fans. It was followed with Terms and Conditions, which was a three-minute battle with words by provoking fun at political issues. The only person who believed the lyrics more than the audience was the lyrical genius behind them.
I felt it in the moment, and retrospectively I feel it now, that this was one of those bragging gigs when you say I saw them here. It was a consistent stream of songs with little breaks in the middle, which showcased the breadth of his musical abilities and the poetic anger of his songs. This gig proved how bright Manchester’s future truly is. The only thing left to sign off on was, “fuck the people who these songs are about and never step in line!”
33-RPM 