By Emma Greensill
After a string of semi-successful gigs in and around Manchester, things were looking up for The Hollow Bodies. They had announced a show at Jimmy’s in September, which would have been their biggest show yet, but then lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Jack Sharp, was hit by a car and the group had to cancel their upcoming dates. During the downtime, The Hollow Bodies started writing more new songs including some rather bizarre lyrics from a heavily sedated Jack.
The three-piece band from Manchester Met started back in June and met in Halifax where they all went to sixth-form together. Jack Sharp and Joe Wachniuk started writing songs in their first year at university and went on to practice in studios with their drummer, Isaac Hartley. Since then, they have gone on to write over 20 songs, which would then go on to form part of their recent set at the Jacaranda in Liverpool.
The set started with a crowd favourite in the form of the furious ‘Microwave Massacre’ with Jack introducing the band while lead guitarist Joe started the song alone, followed by drummer Isaac joining in after a few bars to really start to drive the song.
The band went on to play four new songs including the slow-burning ‘Please Be Patient’, which builds itself up to a massive crescendo with the repetition of the mantra ‘You’re in hysterics’, as if the lyrics are talking directly to the music, guitars snarl against each other and the drums become rapturous with every beat. Other new songs included ‘Nothing Less Than A Laugh’ and ‘Light Another One’, which seemed to be well-received by the audience.
As the set progressed, people started to form a humble crowd in the small basement of the club that was once the rehearsal studio of The Beatles and has recently been performed on by Cabbage. After finishing ‘Stepping On Gravel’ one of the members of the audience shouted out “Play Whiskey in the Jar”. Jack shrugged off the comment responding, “Maybe next time,” before starting the next song.
With Jack fairly new to lead singing, combined with his creative guitar solos and Isaac’s drumming tying the whole sound together, the band don’t really seem to fit into one specific genre. Their many influences from Pixies to Courtney Barnett and Bob Dylan help form their sound and carry on to do so as they write their new music.
Ending on ‘In Tension’, the crowd applauds the band as someone from the crowd shouts that “They’re doing well for a few young lads”, over the last bars. As the song finishes, Jack proceeded to remind everyone to listen to their demo ‘That’s Your Lot’ on SoundCloud.
The Hollow Bodies’ next and last gig of the year will see them supporting The RPMs at The Castle Hotel in Manchester, organised by Flat Plastic Promotions.
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