Spector / gig review

Halloween night brought ghouls and ghosts and slender-man from the woods; and we can't forget the Spector.

"I'm not what you want you fell in love with an idea and I was never never never never never enough so tonight I'm riding out of here".

At a halloween themed gig in the centre of Newcastle, students and adults alike had perfected their cat purs, whitened their faces with the colour of blood and there were also some sneaky front-man look-alikes to the left of the stage. Halloween was sure to be a treat (rather than a trick.)

"It's Friday night, don't ever, don't ever let it end"

In the small-box room of the Newcastle O2 Academy (the o2 academy 2) the feel for the night was set with the first support band - three drunken men dressed as a scientist, the hulk and Santa Claus... Yes, Santa Claus. The three mad men were in the form of support band Luls. With jangly indie influences which sounded like crashing through a wood, the three men bobbled and tapped on stage with the occasional head-bang from the hulk himself.

"One you started coming over, two you started sleeping over, three you started taking over, four you told me it was over"

Another half an hour in and the un-expecting crowd were hit with Kiss aka Swim Deep. With starry white faces the indie-pop band fronted by the handsome Austin Williams, bounced through their support set of a brilliant five songs. New single 'Honey' (which is available for purchase now) whipped the crowd up into a frenzy! Head nodding, shoulder sliding and arms high in the sky: Swim Deep really attracted the attention of the student crowd and prepared and built them up for what was to be - a truly amazing Halloween night.

"I'm holding on with both hands but I'm ready to let go"

Spector arrived on stage - in a one-night-and-one-night-only fashion. Dressed head to toe in fancy dress, Fred Macpherson grabbed the room with both hands and jolted into a fast-paced heart-rocking version of 'Twenty Nothing'. If you were on the barrier I sincerely feel sorry for you - the crowd was going crazy and it was quite possible to be an inch away from Macpherson's hand as he jumped straight into the juxtaposed song 'Grey Shirt and Tie'

"Hold me, wont you hold me?"

The mosh-pits were out in full force from the boys dressed in togas for a second encore of 'Chevy Thunder' "for one night Newcastle? Let's play it again" Macpherson hollered down the mic before being drowned out by the terrifyingly magical crowd.

"I know you laugh behind my back, I know you think I'm on my own"

Spector know how to raise the mood - and mellow it instantly with the click of their fingers. These aren't just another indie band with simple riffs and lyrics trying to make it. This is the indie band that is headlining their own tour of the country after playing support to hero's like Florence + The Machine. If anything; the night opened my eyes again to what a real gig looks and feels like: sweaty, hot, sticky and exciting. If you're given the chance to see Spector, go. Really.

                           "We didn't have to fall in love. We could of climbed down slowly"