Little Fish, Manchester Apollo, 16/06/10

There are three legendary front women performing in Manchester tonight. Joan Jett is supporting Green Day at the LCCC, Debbie Harry is headlining tonight at the Apollo, and JuJu is fronting Little Fish as Blondie’s sole support act.

You probably know all about the first two, but you should definitely make the effort to discover the third. She is 100% unique, but draws comparisons with Patti Smith and Alison Mosshart.

Now, call me cynical but, in all honesty, I don’t get that excited by too many new bands. But Oxford’s Little Fish have really gotten under my skin recently.

Having seen them supporting Alice In Chains and Hole in recent months – and being blown away both times – I jumped at the chance to see them again tonight, supporting Blondie.

There’s something intoxicating and fresh about their music. JuJu (vocals, guitar), Nez (drums) and Ben (Hammond Organ) deliver a handful of songs full of angst, passion and intelligence. All delivered with a punky spirit and energy that have you bouncing around with a massive grin in no time.

‘Darling Dear’ captivates, and new song ‘Devil Wants Me To Play’ sounds great live – especially having witnessed its birth as a demo on their Facebook site.

Peeling out ‘Bonham-esque’ intros and battering the drums, Nez is the backbone of the band, allowing JuJu’s free spirit to explode and entertain the audience, while Ben on the Hammond adds an exquisite layer to the sound – as Hammonds always do.

Lasting only half an hour, the set it over way too quickly for me. I could have quite happily listened for hours more.

Whatever else you do, check out their new single ‘Am I Crazy?’ on iTunes. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Then, there should be an album due out in the not too distant future.

Meanwhile, I’ll see you at the next Little Fish gig!

http://littlefishmusic.com

Author
Frank Ralph

20/06/2010