Kazimer - 22.02.12
Atop the balcony looking down on the ever increasing dancefloor, I could sense the eagerness to hear the alternate rock band Spector play their first gig in the Kazimer, Liverpool. Hearing some positive word of mouths reviews and listening their single ‘Chevy Thunder’, I was a part of the eagerness. I was interested to see what else they could bring to the table. The music being played through the speakers was cut off and the crowd held their breath for a few seconds, waiting to see the perfectly round glasses of lead singer Frederick Macpherson. The place exploded with applause when the entire band came down the steps of the uniquely set up of the venue. Dressed for the occasion, in monochrome black suits with white shirts Spector didn’t take long to show they have a lot to offer the music scene…
They opened up with ‘What You Wanted’, a perfect song to warm up the crowd with its sing-a-long chorus which the audience responded to. The band quickly asserted themselves as a truly great live band with Fredrick at the end of the song offering the crowd a bottle of soda water, they didn’t sound too bad as well!
They followed up with ‘Grey Shirt and Tie’, a real mature song with an unusual drum beat that makes you stand back and really listen. Fredrick’s voice really comes into its own in this song as it compliments the instruments in a truly unique way. This song shows a lot of variety in what the band has to offer as the chorus descends into an alternative approach to catchy.
Throughout the gig Fredrick showed how good of a front man he is. The cringe worthy attempts that most lead man do to get a laugh out of the crowd that we tend to endure are a distant memory when you watch this band. He is genuinely funny and when he leans into the crowd with his, and I quote ‘goblet’ of beer and generously offers random fans to drink from it, it is hard not to love them. If anyone wants to learn how to win over a crowd then watch this man.
However, when we weren’t paying attention to the front man we are in fact not looking at anything. Not that the other members don’t put on a good show but Fredrick is such a superb presence on stage the others are eclipsed. There is also a worry about the lack of flare coming from lead guitarist Christopher Burman. When the pace is set with Fredrick I was disappointed to hear only one memorable solo from Chris in ‘Chevy Thunder’.
Speaking of which, at the announcement that ‘Chevy Thunder’ was going to be the next song, the fans were overjoyed. Such a crowd pleaser, there wasn’t a moment when someone in the audience wasn’t singing along. Nice strong solid single with a powerful chorus and perfect musicianship all round. Definitely the strongest of the set.
When their last song ‘Never Fade Away’ came on I was among the many in this venue who called themselves a fan of Spector. With emotive vocals both backing and from the front man, plus great timing amongst the guitar and drums this is a brilliant song to end on.
I can’t say that I wasn’t aiming to write a positive review because of the free badge I was given, so I won’t. But Spector by the end of the night had won me over. The only criticism is the lack of showmanship from the rest of the band, which is stopping them from being a perfect live band. But they are superb and by the time of their debut album release on the 30th April, they will definitely be a big big name.
Words: Shaun Tyrell
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