Gig of the week: Liam Frost
GRANTED, it wasn’t quite Take That at Old Trafford, neither was it Oasis at Heaton Park – but for sheer gutsy defiance, Liam Frost’s run of comeback shows at Ruby Lounge earlier this year must rank up there with Manc music’s best residencies of 2009.
Despite a long stint out of the Manchester spotlight – a result of being dropped by his record label – Frost shrugged aside any politics to remind all Manc gig goers just why Elbow’s Guy Garvey once dubbed Frost (pictured) ‘The UK Bright Eyes’.
To his credit, Liam Frost was never one for sob story histrionics. First emerging back in 2004, when miserable solo songwriters were 10-a-penny, Prestwich lad Frost stood apart by staying resolutely a glass half-full man.
Natural songwriting optimism
His debut album, Show Me How The Spectres Dance, may have been steeped in loss and tragedy – it was written in aftermath of his father and brother’s deaths – but Frost contrived a folk sound with grand intent, sort of Bright Eyes-meets-Arcade Fire, which not only proved the depth of his emotional palette, but also underlined his ambitions beyond the sappy Manc songwriter scene.
His first major activity since that Ruby Lounge residency, Frost returns this month with his long overdue second album We Ain’t Got No Money, Honey, But We Got Rain, a record which updates Frost’s natural songwriting optimism with even more sunburst colours. With song titles like Orchestra Of Love, this is Frost undergoing his Burt Bacharach pop makeover, and we’re loving it immensely.
All of which makes tonight a double celebration – alongside Frost’s live comeback, we’re also wishing a big happy birthday to the clubnight he’s headlining, Lost And Found. Celebrating two very successful years, the Manc club night have assembled a stellar line-up featuring The Jessie Rose Trip, Real Dolls, Frankie & The Heartstrings, and of course, the excellent Mr Frost.
Liam Frost
Ruby Lounge
November 6, 2009
£5 adv / £8 on the door
Published: Fri, 06 November, 2009
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