Live Review: The Chats - O2 Ritz, Manchester 10/12/2019
Australia’s favourite ‘pub-punk’ band, The Chats, arrived at the O2 Ritz Manchester on Tuesday night to perform an energetic, and at times, surprising set.
It had been a year since the chaotic Aussie’s had visited the city, and their audience seemed to hold as much love for them as ever. This was evident by the momentum of the crowd, and the sing-along versions of ‘Smoko’ that repeatedly occurred in the smoking area.
Opening up for the night was Crocodylus, followed by ‘outsider rock band’ Bad Dreems. Bad Dreems played their most popular tracks, such as ‘Cuffed and Collared’, and threw a free t-shirt into the crowd to get the audience hyped and warmed up. Every group on the roster were Australian, which truly provided a great insight into the best bands of Down Under.
Walking onto the stage to Queen’s ‘We Are the Champions’, The Chats affirmed their stage presence right from the start. The crowd threw themselves against each other to the riff of ‘Nambored’, as the band stated that ‘The UK seems to love us more than Australia!’. If one was to sum up the gig in one word, it would be ‘unexpected’. This is because The Chats provided constant surprises, with songs, anecdotes and audience interaction. One pivotal, almost unbelievable, moment took place during ‘A Day in the Life of Billy Backwash’, whereby towards the end of the song, the drummer and guitarist jumped into the crowd and were immediately replaced with lookalikes. The Chats provided one exciting experience after another.
As previously mentioned, the anecdotes and introductions for each song is what set the band apart from any other live act. ‘The Clap’ was introduced by lead singer Eamon Sandwith asking the crowd if they had ever experienced a sexually transmitted disease, as well as posing the question ‘Who likes wanking? Who’s had more than three today?’, and another song being written about ‘Australia’s deadliest mosquito disease’. The nature of their sound meant that the audience didn’t get a second to rest, as every track played caused an eruption of ‘mosh-pits’ and crowd-surfers.
Introducing the incredible ‘Smoko’ as a ‘new song’ made the crowd go wild, as they performed it in a faster, more aggressive tone, keeping in with the heavy sounds of the evening. The Chats prolonged their finish, making you think that they were done, and then starting up their guitars again. ‘Identity Theft’ was said to be the last song, but as they left the stage and the chants started for ‘Pub Feed’, the band returned to their crowd. Joined by the support acts, the stage was filled with people and their energy matched that of the audience.
From the comical introductions, their Australian charm, to the heavy guitar riffs and shouting nature of their music, The Chats provide a show like no other. If you want a gig with moshing, excitement and the unexpected, then this band is the one for you.
Words and Photography by Jess Foster