Religion inevitably featured prominently in Manchester Cathedral last night. Billy McCarthy proclaimed that he needed to break the ice by getting his swearing out of the way, but in truth Augustines was in awe of such an auspicious space. As he observed with political incorrectness, this venue is older than his country. Such sentiments brought out my British post-colonial guilt, and standing in a beautiful, holy building listening to full blooded rock music initially felt uncomfortable. Yet, Billy seemed to enjoy the role of preacher, directing the crowd in the pursuit of collective happiness. His back story bears the scars of his own guilt after the suicide of his brother, yet he has thrown off its shackles through the release of music. By the end of the evening Billy was dressed as Father Christmas. This continued the theme of celebration from Green Man in August, when the crowd sang Happy Birthday to him. There were many sing-alongs in The Cathedral too, all at least as spirited as the hymns that more usually reverberate around.
The contrast with Sharon Van Etten a week ago in this venue may appear stark: both deliver forms of therapy, but the male rock band's is an unreservedly positive, upbeat experience. The two expressions of emotion come out of adversity, but whereas SVE's is cathartic, this is escapist. In a sense, they both fill emotional needs vacated by the decline of organised religion in the developed world. So the venue didn't feel incongruous, and in common with The Church, Augustines doesn't shy away from deploying unashamed theatricality. Billy moved around the stage hyper-actively, eager to reward his fans for their loyal attention. I recall fondly seeing the then We Are Augustines at one of Manchester's smallest venues in 2012. Their progression to last night's grandeur is the result of grass roots' effort and relentless touring; nobody could accuse them of complacency or nonchalance. Even the acquisition of their current, shortened name came after a hard-won struggle.
I did wonder towards the end of the generous, two hour set if they were almost too eager that nobody should go away disappointed: the tension lagged slightly towards the end of a series of encores. Performing a third song unplugged at the back of the building verged on the self indulgent. Yet, this act is not about polish or technical perfection: their appeal is raw spontaneity, embodied in Billy's raspy voice. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and the songs are often auto-biographical, culminating in Book of James from their first LP. Yet, their 2014 album shows the full flowering into a triumphantly uplifting force. Their live act has recently seen a simplification of rhythms and a curtailing of Billy's chatter in the pursuit of direct, visceral impact. Audience engagement was everything, the channel of communication between Billy and the congregation being incredibly open, and electric. Some of this spark was captured on film as part of a crowd funded project called Rise: The Story of Augustines, with its support showing the warmth of fans' affection.
Class has made an unwelcome reappearance in British political discourse in recent weeks, and Augustines are unapologetically blue collar, in contrast with The National (with whom they share some techniques of stagecraft). They aim for the mainstream, betraying a desire to satisfy as broad an audience as possible. Their Springsteen like melodrama was not conceived to appeal to music commentators, but is an honest, heartfelt response to Billy's journey. Their style could be seen as backward looking: on the day the BBC's Sound of 2015's was published, the comment overheard in the queue, that there's so little decent music around now days was exasperating. Augustines are indebted to classical American rock, and it's conceivable they might one day take U2's place in stadia. Yet, as a veteran of their shows, I wasn't expecting innovation, but instead seeking to relive former happiness.
This was my last large scale gig of the year, as Manchester's touring scene takes an extended hiatus for the holiday season. Augustines helped to galvanise a new found inner belief of 2015's potential for happiness, at a time when the unlikely suddenly seems to be a possibility. Instilling hope has been part of the purpose of this space since its origins in 700AD, even if it's been through liturgical music until very recent times. Appropriately enough in at this time of year, the message from Billy is that for all the darkness in the world, there is reason for optimism. Happily, Augustines are an exemplar of the inclusivity of music: all are invited to share in this expression of love, regardless of background, nationality or belief.
Set List
- Headlong into The Abyss
- Chapel Song
- Augustine
- Ballad of a Patient Man
- Juarez
- Philadelphia
- Waiting
- Strange Days
- Walkabout
- Nothing to Loose But Your Head
- Cruel City
- The Avenue
- Now You Are Free (intro)
- Book of James
- Weary Eyes
- East LA
- Trouble
- Long Black Veil
- Pressure Drop
- Hold On To Anything
- New Drink for the Old Drunk
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