If you ever wondered what Suicide and Cold Cave would sound like if they launched head first into each other, they would sound like Sextile. I’ve been a HUGE fan of the band for quite some time now, and last night I finally got to see their live show. When I lived in London, my two favourite venues were The Old Blue Last and The Shacklewell Arms. Now I’m in Manchester, I wondered if I would find a venue that could have the same dark, basement feel. Soup Kitchen was the host of the show last night, and my god it is just the perfect venue for a band like Sextile. If I was in a band, this is where I would want to play. Over the past three years I wondered what their show would be like, and last night just exceeded every single expectation I had.

One of the many things that I loved about the show was how Brady commands the stage without even having to engage in pointless talk between songs. He has this way about him that just makes you walk closer towards the stage and really listen. He’s like a preacher with the way he is on stage. He’s got this wonderful presence about him that makes you wish you could see this band every night. Melissa is one of the best drummers you’ll ever see. She’s got a Bobby Gillespie sound going on (think Psychocandy) and as she stands towering over her drum kit hitting the drum skins with such passion without breaking a sweat is just amazing. She’s effortlessly cool. Apologies for my ignorance, but I cannot remember the name of the guitarist- all I know is that she was brilliant, and during the second to last song she joined Melissa on the drums and they both had this tribal-like sound going on.

Friday saw the band release the EP titled, 3. I’ll be writing about that soon but for now let’s stick with the show. They played most of the EP, and it was so great to hear it live. I’ve been playing 3 on my journey to and from work on Friday, and I loved the grittiness of it. I love how they have a Gang Of Four sound going on mixed with The Vacant Lots. The band may be from L.A but they definitely sound like a band that have been roaming the alleyways of Berlin during a harsh winter. They absolutely ripped through the song, Paradox last night and it was definitely one of the songs that made the crowd go nuts.

I’ve always said that Manchester crowds are the best, and last night’s show was a prime example of this. The crowd was made up of people just having the best time dance so care free to a band that they love. The atmosphere was brilliant, and who cares that the show didn’t sell out. It’s better to have the right amount of fans there who love the band rather than a group of drunk idiots stumble in and be obnoxious. Sextile are equally captivating on stage as they are on record. The venue was perfect for as band like this. You felt like you had fallen into the hands of a cult as soon as they stepped on stage. I loved when they performed Drop You (it’s my current favourite from the new EP) but to be honest, they could have just performed a whole bunch of nonsense and I would have loved it. I just love this band so much. I think this might have been only their second time playing the UK and since then, their line-up has changed but regardless of band members- Sextile are just fantastic.

When they performed, Who Killed Six, that’s when it really kicked in how much I loved the show and wish it could have lasted forever. I LOVE this song so much and it’s my favourite off Albeit Living. Its song that I love playing ridiculously loud, and to witness it live was just nothing short of perfect for me. I’ve not been to many shows this year, but this is the one I’ll be holding very dear to me.

If you ever have the opportunity to see Sextile live, GO.