As I rolled up to Manchester Academy I was slightly dubious as to what lay in store after hearing mixed reviews about the band and venue I was about to experience. First and foremost was the dread that I would be refused entry for being too old and not dressed in neon!
Luckily we live in the times of mature students - which Manchester was crammed full of - so I swanned past the doormen like I was 18 again. Arriving shortly after the support acts took to the stage, I was pleased to find the place full of people of all ages; from students who had managed to survive the hardcore boozing of fresher’s’ week to middle aged women dancing away on a school night!
Right on cue at 9pm Jules de Martino and Katie White - or for you who aren’t “down with the kids,†The Ting Tings - took to the stage as their first time as a headline act. Clad in his infamous white shades, Jules sneaked on to his drums before, true to form, Katie burst onto stage and into their first song “We Started Nothing.â€
The crowd went crazy and within seconds everyone was bouncing around pleased to be a part of something so fresh and different. These guys are such a welcome change to the endless lists of indie bands and teenage pop that’s around at the moment: And they definitely know how to get a crowd going!
Despite loving their album, I had heard that Katie’s voice isn’t very strong live and the album is far better than their live set, however, as with most rumours, this was far from reality as they really rocked the joint, and what’s more Katie was born to be a front woman, revelling in all the attention from the fans.
The pair connect so well together, like some human version of a jigsaw, and their close partnership radiates from them as the bop about on stage. Despite the fact that the spotlight is focussed purely on Katie, Jules seems to cope with it quite well as she plays to him, engages with him and it’s clear they have electric chemistry.
They set was packed full of songs such as Fruit Machine, which went down a storm, Great DJ, and Shut Up and Let Me Go, during which, Katie switched to a huge drum instead of her trademark guitar - is there just no end to this girl’s talent?!
The gig as a whole was a welcome change from a night in front of the television, but the only downfall was that it was far too short. At just under a hour I had barley got into the swing of things before it was time to head home. It’s hardly surprising though, as they only have one album under their belts.
It’s clear that these guys truly appreciate the success they are getting as there was a really sweet moment when Jules asked for the lights to go up so he could take a picture of the crowd and keep that moment in his heart forever!
Like most bands, after they left the stage, they returned for an encore much to the joy of the crowd with Impacilla Carispung followed by their smash That's Not My Name which was well worth the wait and was a spectacular end to an even better night.
All in all, I would recommend The Ting Tings to anyone, if you fancy dancing your socks off and listening to some good tunes then this is your gig and with their endless barrels of energy, you might even forget there is only two of them on stage!
FemaleFirst - Clare Young