Having been to Yes on Charles Street in Manchester 3 times in the last few months this was my first time in the Basement at Yes. There's a neon sign as you go through the door with steps that says "Weird Shit" - I did laugh and the stamp they did on your wrist was the same (cool bit of marketing).
Having been up to the Pink Room a lot I was surprised when I entered the basement that the room was painted black. I'm guessing that Mick and Keith have been here before me (sorry not sorry).
The gig was a sell out and as soon as the doors were open people were already headed to the front. I had no idea how many people you could fit in a basement but by the time Loose Articles came on the place was pretty full.
I had seen the badges they sell to go with their cleverly titled track Money for Booze (with Stella inspired artwork) but I'd not had a real chance to listen to them. They're a four piece all female (or non binary as their facebook lists their gender as the same) band hailing from Manchester.
It's really difficult to describe their music and mostly it defies picking a genre. It was hard hitting, visceral, punk inspired, feminist, stop start, funky, rock and roll. If I had to describe their music as art it's Jackson Pollock, Salvador Dali and Picasso with a bit of Monet rolled in. I don't know the titles of all of their tracks, but one was about doing karaoke when someone comes along and makes it duet when you want to sing alone. Hilarious!
They ended on the incredible I Am Equal. If ever there was an anthem for women today then this is it! The anger, rage, and fuck you to the patriarchy was so tangible that it gave me goosebumps. I seriously can't wait to see more from this line up.
Talking to people about the gig beforehand, whenever I said I was seeing Hatchie, they were like who? It's a response I'm getting used to with my taste in music and it never bothers me.
I listened to her a lot before the gig and when I was thinking of how to describe her for this article I kept being drawn to the 80's. If you could mould a singer that was part Kim Wilde part Belinda Carlisle and part Debbie Harry then you'd have something similar to Hatchie. If you've seen that episode of Black Mirror "San Junipero" then you'll know what I mean.
Her music would fit right into that era.
But then again that's unfair because whilst she may have been influenced by that era (that's my interpretation not something I've read) she's current. She's now and she's bloody amazing live.
Her voice is absolutely sublime live. Some people can't sing live, but this ladies voice is just something else. She's a great bass player and as the set went on and she warmed up she took me on a journey to someplace else.
Starting with Try (video below, sorry about the crappy quality), she then did Obssessed, and Sugar & Spice before going onto Her Only Heart & Kiss the Star - she ended with Sure and Stay with Me and despite her playing 10 songs, the time flew and the gig was over as soon as it had began.
I bought a t-shirt because I thought it was cool (chain linked heart shape on black with an H inside the heart shape). When I looked on social media afterwards I found out that she designed this herself, using a plastic linked chain and spraying it silver. Her brother helping her photograph it too.
If you've not listened to Hatchie before do yourself a favour and do.
You're gonna love her.
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