Man Woman Chainsaw / Rough Trade / Nottingham
A nice short trip for a change into Nottingham and to Rough Trade to catch rising start Man / Woman / Chainsaw, on their “Cannonball” album Record Store tour. Formed in 2019 in London, Man / Woman / Chainsaw are Billy Ward (guitar & vocals), Emmie-Mae Avery (piano & vocals), Vera Leppänen (bass & vocals), Clio Starwood (violin), Lola Cherry (drums) and Billy Doyle (guitar).
I’m really getting into these as a concept, you buy the album and a ticket, collect your album on arrival, see an intimate performance and get the chance to meet the band and get your album signed. We only recently saw Yard Act at Rough Trade promoting their new album, and the tight, intimate atmosphere results in a very different kind of performance and experience.
And once again tonight, Rough Trade Nottingham is packed for the visit of Man / Woman / Chainsaw, and it’s roasting inside ! The debut album was released on 7th August and Rough Trade have made it their Album of the Month for August, and the NME have called it ‘one of the most accomplished debuts of the year’. Tonight they perform the whole album, almost in order, just moving one of the singles to end the set.
Coming out to huge cheers and shout, they kick the set off with popular single Only Girl which sets the scene nicely for the next 40 minutes or so. Two guitars, bass, violin and keys come together to create a wall of sound backing up Vera’s vocals. With so much going on, there’s a complexity and a kind of chaos to their sound, which can be delicate, punchy and everything in between with a distinct shoegaze feel to the guitars. It’s kind of got that Black County New Road, fusion feel, but with a pop element woven in, keeping it bright and bubbly.
The result, is something packed with energy, and well…. Fun ! Where this effect strikes hardest is in tracks such as Goddamn, Lizard Man! and Snakebite (two of my favourites on the album) which both pack a punch. Goddam, Lazard Man! in particular stands out., with it’s dark, droning, gothic feel.
Leppänen does a fair proportion of the singing and she delivers them beautifully, with a smile that’s infectious, but I also love how everyone gets involved with the vocals at some point through the set. Clio on violin is a whirlwind of energy, and never stops moving through out. It feels the tight space is cramping her style somewhat tonight but the energy she exudes is infectious and has those around moving too.
The guitars deliver throughout with both Billy’s (Ward & Doyle) trading riffs, while Leppänen’s bass adds to the mix superbly, giving each track a real sense of depth. There’s a real range to their sound too, Lighter has a softness to it, packed with soul and a jazz lounge laid back sensibility to it. The vocals (especially on the album) remind me of something like Imelda May on “11 Past the Hour”, whist Still Angry which starts off with a vocal that has a folk feel to it, backed by piano and some crisp clear guitar tones. Wonderful stuff – a delightful soft moment of relaxation.
They end the set with Nosedive for which Billy (Doyle) takes over on bass and Vera picks up the tambourine to dance as the drum beats from Lola drag us into the rhythm and everyone is moving or clapping along. I particularly love the lyrics on this one, a song about love / relationships with such effective lines as “Bird hit the glass, I can’t see in front of me, Let Mme go on, let me go. Hit a nosedive, cannonball.” Needing to rest and recover before “Baby, get me back up over you”
And before you know it, its done ! I queue up with everyone else to meet the band , get a photo and have a chat, and I was struck by how genuinely nice they all were, the energy and excitement from the stage still there as they chatted and laughed with us all.
Personally, I don’t think Rough Trade or the NME are wrong, it’s a killer debut album and one I’ll be regularly spinning for some time. Man / Woman / Chainsaw are definitely one to watch, and their live shows / sound has that festival vibe to it…… Looking forward to hearing more of them soon.
Setlist
Only Girl
Canyons
Goddamn, Lizard Man!
Lighter
Get Up and Dance
Snakebite
Flick Of The Wrist
The Thing
Still Angry
Something Else to Give
Nosedive
“Cannonball” is out now and available to buy on the Band’s Bandcamp site HERE or at Rough Trade HERE.
