Live Review: October Drift - Deaf Institute, Manchester 22/10/2022
Taunton’s October Drift return to Manchester’s iconic Deaf Institute for the second time this year, this time in support of their recently released second album, I Don’t Belong Anywhere.
If you haven’t seen October Drift live before, their shows are a difficult one to describe. Much more of an experience than your usual gig, the chances of you seeing them once and never again are slim. It’s something that adds to the experience though, faces in the crowd become familiar and the gigs become something much more than that.
Indeed, buzz about this tour has been growing quickly since they released their second album I Don’t Belong Anywhere earlier this month, and the sense of anticipation in Manchester’s Deaf Institute tonight is almost palpable; the reaction the band receive as they step out onto the venue’s cramped stage is deafening.
Not that stage size matters, October Drift are known for making use of just about any surface, railing, balcony, or tent support made available to them, and the modest confines of Deaf Institute’s upstairs venue make it the perfect playground for the band.
The first thing that’s noticeable this evening, aside from frontman Kiran Roy’s trademark white outfit, is the lack of usual bassist Alex Bipsham, who’s replaced this evening by Jack Barrett. Not that it matters, the minute they launch into opening track ‘Lost Without You’, the stage bathed in the whites and blues, it’s clear that Barrett is a worthy stand in.
It’s also the first taste of the new album, most of which gets an airing across the band’s hour long set. Of course, some of which has already been in the band’s sets for months if not longer, and as such, the likes of ‘Insects’, ‘Airbourne Panic Attack’ and ‘Bleed’ are all sung back to the band with the same sense of earnestness as those more established tracks.
And that same earnestness is given back to a baying crowd tenfold. October Drift are band who care about what they do, and the energy and effort they put into every show is nothing short of admirable. From Roy treading the length of the bar during a particularly heavy breakdown, to the erratic and angular movements of both Barrett and guitarist Daniel Young, it’s as frenetic a show as you’re likely to see.
As anticipated, a heartfelt rendition of the aforementioned ‘Bleed’ sees Roy hanging impressively with one hand from the venue’s balcony, his other clutching his microphone as if his life depended on it, while a brooding ‘Come and Find Me’ sees the crowd in full voice. A staple of the band’s sets for years now, it’s a fan favourite and likely to be a steadfast feature.
Of course, other tracks that have been there for years have to be omitted in favour of newer material. There’s a conspicuous lack of ‘Cherry Red’ though ‘Don’t Give Me Hope’ still makes an early appearance and provokes the evening’s first true singalong. Towards the tail end of the set, ‘Forever Whatever’ does the same, the rousing chorus and the respectful singalong it inspires enough to give anyone in the room goosebumps.
By now it’s clear things are reaching their climax, and with the band all back on stage, a penultimate ‘Oh the Silence’ sends the crowd into a final frenzy before a finale of album closer ‘Old and Distant Memory’ ends things on a subdued and somewhat sombre note.
By now it’s clear things are reaching their climax, a penultimate ‘Oh the Silence’ sends the crowd into a final fury before a finale of album closer ‘Old and Distant Memory. Drummer Chris Holmes joins Roy in the centre of the crowd for an unplugged rendition that spurs the crowd into silence. It’s a sombre yet special way to close things out.
Words by Dave Beech
Photos by Jess Robinson
