Motor Ace
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As somewhat of a newbie to Motor Ace’s music and having heard so much about them lately, I ended up at The Corner Hotel for the ‘album launch’ full of anticipation.
I’m still not sure how a normal gig and an ‘album launch’ are different but I wasn’t complaining. It was all to celebrate the release of their highly anticipated third album, Animal. The bands previous album Shoot This having debut at number one.
Supporters Daybreak Giants were bordering on heavy rock with some songs, but generally were simply rock. The standout song was Laura or maybe some other girls name– could do with a further listen. The drummer 'Tiger' provided an interesting commentary throughout the set, and reminded us around five times about their website. For some reason the address has eluded me since. An interesting sound and an interesting band.
Before I knew it Ben Birchall and The Corrections took to the stage with an impressive set. Melodic rock blasted out - they had the crowd eating out of their hands. Everyone was impressed by the new single Razor Smile, which as the singer said “has been played on the radio once, so I expect you all to know the words”. Most of us didn’t, but we did give them a frenzy of bobbing in appreciation. The applause at the end of the set proved the talent of this band and they are definitely one to watch.
When the projections started I knew Motor Ace were about to come out, if that hadn’t told me the raise in the level of screaming might have.
After a musical intro the band came out and got stuck into their job. The projection show has now become popular and it certainly adds another element to a set. Also, the new lighting behind the band must have looked awesome. I couldn’t tell as when it came on it was so bright I had to squint.
Ordinary Day was a nice taste of what the new album has to offer. I had never been to a gig before where panties were actually thrown onto the stage, so you can imagine my surprise when not only do they end up on stage (a white lacy number if you’re wondering) but they get thrown back and land on my shoulder. I might have nightmares about that all week.
2 old songs I vaguely remember are Carry On and Keeping Secrets and remain firm fan favorites. A pleasant surprise indeed. In fact they did a combination of old and the new, which was well received. Towards the end of the set one excited punter pushed his way to the front where he tried to tell Patrick to get the crowd involved, then proceeded to dance excitedly in a techno style - pumping his arms in the air. Obviously he was at a different gig and after a while he returned to his spot 5 rows back, defeated.
Another first for me was a 4 track encore. That’s giving the fans what they’re after and I commend it. The band left the stage as heroes basking in the glow of applause. On the way off stage Damian stopped to hand out his drumsticks to two lucky ladies in the front row.
Personally I thought the vocals needed to be turned up a touch or the guitars down so I could hear the lyrics more, but if that’s my only major complaint then I’m not doing too badly. Motor Ace certainly unleashed the animal in one fan, and are hoping their instincts for a hit are up to scratch. Judging by the crowd’s reaction I’d say they were on to a winner.
