The Ghost Frequency
The Roadhouse, Manchester
Sunday 12th August 2007
by Craig Berry
The Ghost Frequency
In this, the third of a handful of warm-up shows before they join the Hadouken! tour, London five-piece The Ghost Frequency played legendary Manchester venue The Roadhouse. The show was part of the Attack Of The Giant Woman festival, a marathon seven-band showcase celebrating the creepy side of life, put together by local promoters Get Girl Kill Baddies Save Planet. The Ghost Frequency, with the 80s horror movie motifs reflected in their artwork and their songs, fit the bill perfectly. Their set is on quite early, but is undoubtedly the highlight of the afternoon session.
They take to the stage like old rockers on acid - lead singer Doran (looking like a gothic version of Morrissey) even leaps wildly into the air Pete Townsend-style as the first chord is struck - so high that it draws gasps from the few punters paying attention. The band really announce themselves with a storming rendition of Money On The Fire, their next single. It is an outstanding showcase of their ghoulish, synth-saturated electro-rock. Though thoroughly original, it is their most riff-heavy song, reminiscent of new-breed Sheffield bands like Bromhead's Jacket and Reverend and the Makers. And if that's not enough, it is immanently danceable. Obvious but accurate comparisons have been made between The Ghost Frequency and The Rapture, but I would also note the beat-heavy dance/metal fusion of the Test Icicles as another reference point.
The set's highlight was the track We Were Computers, which they dedicated, sensitively, to Tony Wilson. With neat percussion and an infectious chorus, it is almost pop. It sounds very much like Bloc Party; perhaps lacking some of the passion, but also skipping the dreariness to which their fellow Londoners are prone. The lyrics are repetitive but effective, and with lines like 'We were in love but we drowned ourselves in a secret...', the band even show off a slightly softer side. In summary, a very contemporary take on the boy-meets-girl-meets-tragedy formula.
Latest single Nightmare also went down well, thanks no doubt to some recent airplay. Another catchy chorus, coupled with a few theatrical moments, make it a decent live track, but it is probably the weakest of their MySpace demos. It is the kind of thing being done much more effectively by !Forward Russia!.
The Ghost Frequency
Despite an occasionally thrilling set of songs, the band's performance is blighted by Doran's apparent lack of confidence on stage. Their togetherness as a band is very noticeable, but they seem unable to relate to the audience. It isn't helped by the lack of enthusiasm from the majority of this particular crowd, but on a Sunday afternoon in a basement club, with another six hours left of the festival, it is the frontman's job to convince the doubters. Doran throws himself around the stage, and frequently mounts the amplifiers, but seems for most of the gig to have his back to the audience. It would help if he could just stand still and sing at us, at least for one verse, so we have a chance to get to know him as a performer. His forebears, like Morrissey and Robert Smith (and even a modern equivalent like Alex Turner), may be endearing precisely because of their shyness and conflicted relationships with their fans, but they manage to provide a captivating focal point nonetheless.
Despite this, the day belonged to The Ghost Frequency. They need to hone their craft, and bring the confidence of the studio to the stage a little more, but final song For the Wolves (b-side to Nightmare) is an extremely strong finish and, interestingly, their most synth-dependent track. Not obviously radio-friendly, it nevertheless suggests that The Ghost Frequency are capable of producing a distinctive, expansive sound which may be the key to longevity in the current indie marketplace.
For more information about The Ghost Frequency, including current tour dates and tickets, see their page here on Ents24.
