How do you know it was a good night? – When a week later you still have the band’s songs stuck in your head.
After walking down the flight of red carpeted stairs and having passed the infamous ‘one night only’ sign, Holy Moly and the Crackers had at least one member standing at the desk at all times greeting everyone and giving them their entry stamp at Jimmy’s in the Northern Quarter.
What with the already small venue, it started the night off with a very personal.
Once the opening acts were done, the band leapt on stage to open their act with their song Sugar.
The tune – which is from their recent 2017 album Salem – was an immediate crowd pleaser, attracting everyone closer to the stage and creating an atmosphere of emotion with the deep sound.
The seven-person group had the gig-goers, who were of a more mature age range, jumping and bouncing around for the second song, what with Ruth’s standstill vocals taking not only mine, but the rest of the audience’s breaths away.
VENUE HEAVEN: Jimmy’s was the perfect location for the gig
Her crisp yet rustic voice gave her lead position on the stage reason and each time she opened her mouth to sing it was a guaranteed pleasure.
Alongside Conrad Bird, one of the founding members, the group’s sound and wide range of musical instruments magnetised the crowd to full attention.
For those of you who have never ventured to Jimmy’s before, you might not understand how the ambiance of the venue only exacerbated this Holy Moly and the Crackers performance.
The red neon lights gave out a hazy glow in the dark room, illuminating the faces of both the crowd and the band.
The 85 plus people who filled the 100 man room were swaying, jumping and head-bobbing along to the eccentric sounds of the musicians.
Not only this, but the quality of the sound system was eye opening in the downstairs areas of Jimmy’s.
You weren’t just able to listen to the music and watch it being produced, you were able to feel it as the vibrations ran through your body, stopping your heartbeat for a second and bringing you even closer to the rhythms.
The band was extremely interactive, with Conrad announcing which songs were next and chatting to the crowd between every tune.
PERSONAL TOUCH: The band made the most of the intimate setting
They introduced their Christmas song, to which the album had been released that day, and even promoted their own Christmas ‘crackers’ – something those in attendance found hilarious.
What became a very personal live gig even had one of the crowd members ordering another whisky for Conrad as he had apparently dropped his during the first song.
All was in good humour and those in attendance were constantly positive and hyped up for more.
The 2014 song Cocaine, which is extremely fast-paced and vibey, had many dedicated fans at the ready.
The rendition of it slowed down, only to be broken by the drummer doing an outstanding drum solo, putting in such extreme amounts of effort and energy which could be seen through his body movements and facial expressions.
From songs linked to Jewish Wedding Dances, Falling In Love On Holiday and Christmas tunes, this band had it all.
Known for their eccentric and indescribable music, they were a real crowd-pleaser.
On speaking to Conrad, he told MM: “It’s been an absolute delight.
“Manchester has definitely been one of the best receptions. They didn’t even ‘boo’ at us when we announced the Christmas song.”
All in all, a ‘cracking’ performance by Holy Moly – and a gig that’s recommended for all music fans.
