ADULT DVD & SILVERWINGKILLER

When Adult DVD played Voodoo Daddy’s as part of last year’s Wild Paths, I missed out, having foolishly decided to get a drink in the main bar before heading downstairs only to find that it was a lockout. So, it is fair to say that I have been looking forward to this but also rather surprising that it is not a sellout.  

Openers SILVERWINGKILLER get things going with a thoroughly enjoyable mash-up of digital hardcore, industrual, gabba and big beat. Musically, there’s elements of the likes of Melt Banana, Atari Teenage Riot and Midfield General, propelled by the thunderous drumming of James. Yushang’s multilingual vocals range from helium-high yelps down to lower, almost gothy tones. The former predominate but it is the latter that interest me more. Tonight’s performance is not entirely convincing but Silverwingkiller are intriguing and, with a bit of time, the Manchester-based duo could well turn into something pretty special.  

The Waterfront Studio’s stage isn’t exactly the biggest and ADULT DVD barely have room to move given the mountain of gear that they have brought with them from Leeds. With Greg Lonsdale and Jake Williams on synths, Harry Hanson on vox/synths, Danny Blackburn on guitar/synths, bassist George Manson and drummer Jonathan Newell, it’s fair to say that this isn’t a stripped down, laptop-and-vocals set-up… Like the openers, their sound has elements of big beat, albeit more in the vein of Lo-Fidelity Allstars, but this is almost overwhelmed by acid house and rave influences. They come on like a speeded up, more upbeat Snapped Ankles or a more-rave-less-klezmer-with-catchier-tunes Fat Dog, with a healthy dose of Yard Act thrown in for good measure. And it is as hugely danceable as it darned good fun.