Free Articles | Fig By 4 | Ambiere
The Vale, Mossley
twenty second February 2025
Free Articles are a riotous power, crashing into 2025 with unstoppable momentum. Final yr noticed their debut album Scream If You Wanna Go Sooner land within the UK High 100 and a dream help slot with Foo Fighters, and now, the Manchester four-piece are proving that female energy punk is as fierce and important as ever. The Kick Like A Woman Additional Time tour isn’t simply in regards to the dwell exhibits – it’s an Arts Council-backed initiative breaking down limitations for younger ladies and non-binary individuals, providing them alternatives in efficiency, sound, and technical roles. Tonight, that mission lands in Mossley, as Free Articles deliver their defiant vitality to The Vale.
Ambiere’s opener is a mesmerising fusion of fairytale grunge and ethereal dance, the place beats collide together with her gorgeous, otherworldly vocals. Shifting throughout the stage with a playful, unrestrained expression, it’s as if she is swept away by the music within the solitude of her bed room. Every monitor builds layer upon layer – programmed beats and shimmering synths intertwining with vocals which are wealthy, versatile, and deeply emotive. Thea lingers in a darkish, brooding undertone earlier than hovering into a wide ranging refrain, her actions mirroring the rise and fall of the soundscape. Sleep has a contact of uncooked intimacy, gorgeously profound and transcendent, as her daughter’s sampled delicate laughter weaves beneath hypnotic vocals and minimal beats. She closes with an EDM-infused magnificence, a slow-burning construct that erupts right into a euphoric finale. For a fleeting second, there’s an endearing awkwardness as she twirls throughout the stage, however the crowd’s heat lifts her larger, and by the ultimate be aware, she’s absolutely immersed. A spellbinding efficiency from an artist destined for large issues.
Fig By 4’s dwell present is a masterclass in managed depth. Sarah Statham instructions the stage with the identical assured vitality that made her album, Seize Reveal, such a putting debut. The band’s eight-song set seamlessly shifts from gentle, melodious indie-rock to upbeat grooves which are righteous and strong. Solely Pores and skin is a gorgeously subdued indie-folk delicacy, Statham’s professional musicianship ever current in her supply. Mea Culpa brings a crunchy, rock-driven edge, whereas Lifejackal drifts right into a dreamlike haze. A fascinating favorite, Plunge builds from a subtly darkish groove, increasing with spangly synths and showcasing Statham’s finesse – her lush guitar is simply as melodic as her vocals. Momentum builds with every monitor, every one leaping out with emotional vibrancy. There’s one thing magical about it – Statham’s voice glows with heat, lingering lengthy after the ultimate be aware fades. Genuine, assured, layered, and completely compelling.
From the very first be aware, it’s clear this isn’t simply any post-punk gig. And at only a fiver, it’s an absolute steal for a band firing on all cylinders. Free Articles open with Mr Supervisor, a monitor that sees them take purpose at a garbage, micro-managing boss, with some spacey synth whooshes and an unrelenting bass hook. It’s brash and playful, the group instantly drawn in. Subsequent up is Buses, with its thrashing and fearless vocal assault that caught Dave Grohl’s consideration final yr, leading to them supporting Foo Fighters at their greatest present up to now.
Their branding looms massive with a large Stella Artois-inspired emblem hanging behind them, a daring emblem of ladette vitality and a transparent warning: don’t mess with us. Sinead Loves Bitcoin takes a weird real-life mishap, with band photographer Sinead Ferguson’s Instagram getting hijacked by Bitcoin scammers. The dwell result’s a punchy, tongue-in-cheek anthem, and proper on cue, Sinead ditches her digicam duties, leaps on stage, and takes the mic to say her stardom. There’s a way of The Fall’s affect on Need, the place Natalie Wardle’s unapologetic Mancunian lyrical talent supply contrasts with Erin Caine’s quirky vocal flicks and a layer of groove. Following the skippy rhythm of Pinball John, the soccer chant turned feminist conflict cry, Kick Like a Woman roars in, swinging between edgy comedy and post-punk liberation.
Visually, they’re electrical. Erin and orange-haired Natalie parade about in animal print leotards, fishnets and chunky boots, embodying the untamed spirit of highly effective sub-Saharan cats. Even Sinead, can’t resist becoming a member of in, zipping up and down whereas snapping away. It’s an inclusive, energised ambiance – much less like a normal gig and extra like the very best home occasion you’ve ever been to, hosted by a gang of sassy, no-nonsense punks.
Are You a Welder? smashes in with whirling synth, carrying the simplistic however intoxicating rhythm pulse and echoes of 90s band Elastica. The set drives ahead with precision and unruliness, Natalie’s razor-sharp bassline locking in with Abbi Phillips’ relentless drumming. Unpaid Intern kicks off with a touch of math rock earlier than bursting right into a full-blown Cuban-style carnival. Louise Rivett’s synth hooks shoot out like fireworks as she springs on an imaginary pogo stick on turbo, laced with 90s rave whistle-blowing chaos. It’s a riotous protest anthem that morphs right into a cowbell-fuelled percussive frenzy, with Natalie main the group in call-and-response whoops. Then comes the limbo competitors. By this level, the group is hyped, limbered up, and all in. It’s an absolute belter of a celebration.
It’s Artwork hits and the group is absolutely of their grip. The efficiency hurtles like a meteor, a dose of sharp-witted social commentary, Erin’s uncooked guitar vitality slicing via the drumbeats, earlier than exploding right into a climactic scream. It’s confrontational and a frenetic sensory bombardment. There’s playful banter onstage as they gear up for the subsequent tune. Abbi lifts her pint of ‘Stella’ with a “cheers for having a pleasant time.” Natalie then units the scene, declaring that the current single, I’d Relatively Have a Beer, is all about selecting good occasions together with your mates over chasing ineffective males, as a result of, let’s face it, a pint together with your buddies will final a hell of lots longer. Then, growth – it kicks in at full throttle, all quick beats and vigour. Mosh pit insanity erupts for his or her finale, Snake, the room now a full-throttle surge of collective mayhem.
Free Articles are a lot greater than discordant guitars and DIY grit, although they’ve obtained that in spades. Tonight, they unleash a sonic and visible assault, locked in tight, hypnotic in all the appropriate methods, with attention-grabbing tempo shifts that really feel each chaotic and completely managed. By the tip of the evening, the entire room is buzzing from the sheer energy and charisma of this quartet. Free Articles are a band to expertise, and I really feel they’re able to safe their place as one of the crucial defiant bands in UK underground music. They’re not simply taking part in gigs – they’re igniting a motion.
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Free Articles might be discovered at their web site | Instagram | Fb
Fig By 4 might be discovered at Instagram | Fb
Ambiere might be discovered at Instagram | Fb
Phrases by Clare de Lune. Yow will discover Clare on Instagram and Fb
Pictures by Andrew Twambley. Yow will discover Andrew at his web site
Ambiere picture by Sinead Ferguson, with permission. Yow will discover Sinead at Instagram
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