I'd like to start by praising the staff at the newly named and refurbished Carling Academy in Liverpool for the cheery welcome on our arrival. That said, any goodwill gained by the kindly charm of the door was immediately zapped away by the price of the Guinness which I might add came in a tin! What the! Indeed..
MOUNTAINEERS are a three piece based in Liverpool and signed to Mute Records. They moved to the city, their adopted home having first caught the eye of Deltasonic supremo Alan Wills who released their debut EP, 'The Red Thong' on his label in 2001. They recently released their first album on Mute, 'Messy Century' followed by the single 'I Gotta Sing' as well as starting their Hottrees Night's at the Magnet in Liverpool.
Alex Germains is a likeable front man with quite a presence; he's a funny guy too who likes to banter with the crowd most of whom he reckons he knows. He promises to dish out snack size chocolate bars between songs to the fan who looks like they're enjoying it more that anyone else; it works a treat!
His voice is strong and soulful, sounding somewhere in between James Dean Bradfield and David Gray with the odd flash of Bono. He's flanked by Ceri James on keyboards/electronica and Tomas Kelar on drums and sequencer who was also celebrating his birthday.
It's difficult to place them in the musical spectrum due to the different styles they have for different songs. First off are the songs where Alex plays acoustic over mellow up tempo beats amidst an assortment of electronic sounds and vibes. This happens for the first few tunes. It's a bit like David Gray without the wobbly head but it's good stuff and the tunes are well crafted affairs with well honed arrangements.
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A variation happens when Alex swaps the acoustic for an electric guitar and a harder but less effective style takes over. In the middle of the set come two slower and drumless songs which were the best so far. The next variation occurs when Ceri takes the lead stood up at his keyboards and an electronic oober surge permeates the sound. It's the sound I like the least but then
I'm more than happy to leave it to Ladytron and that's that.
They leave the very best till last with new single 'I Gotta Sing' a real pop singalong with a hint of the Manics in their happier days but smoother sounding and the encore which I don't know the name of. Both demonstrate the ear catching quality that vindicates the listeners decision to vacate the cosy confines of his homestead for the Rock n Roll lifestyle of downtown Liverpool in the shitty cold. That and the kebab on the way home..
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