It is The Strange Boys’ first show of their 2012 tour and their first visit to Manchester in two years. It’s fair to say that the Texan quartet have had a fairly productive couple of years since then - writing and recording 2011’s instant classic Live Music, an album that unabashedly explores rock and roll’s sensitive side.
Manchester’s own Brown Brogues are up first. The duo’s brand of nebulous blues garage is entertaining enough (and certainly proves to be popular with the locals), but one feels that, with bands like The Black Keys and Thee Oh Sees around, they’re up against stiff competition from across the pond.
The Strange Boys emerge for a quick sound check during which Ryan Sambol and drummer Mike La Franchi treat us to a sprightly, mumbled pre-show snippet. Perhaps they are dusting off the cobwebs before their return to the fray. Soon they are joined by guitarist Greg Enlow and bassist Philip Sambol and the set begins with the piano led ‘Me and You’.
If there’s one thing that may deter the casual listener, it is Ryan Sambol’s idiosyncratic voice. Imagine Bob Dylan singing in a key that is slightly beyond his range (in the nicest possible way) and you’re on the right track. Whether or not you like his delivery, Sambol’s knack with killer one-liners can’t be denied. “We’re the same picture / But in different frames,” is the gem on ‘Me and You’.
Elsewhere, The Strange Boys are at their best on the ascending ‘Mama Shelter’ and Live Music highlight, ‘Punk’s Pajamas’. “I’m surprised you’re still alive / Considering the time you spend in the middle of the road,” always raises a smile. Despite the critical success of their latest album, the aforementioned Live Music songs are in the minority and much of the set is comprised of older material.
In an unexpected burst of sincerity, Sambol says: “Last time we played here, people were rude and they looked disinterested. We had a little break so we’re trying to get back into it, so thanks a lot for listening and being nice to us.” From that moment, The Strange Boys are cast as plucky underdogs desperate to please their obliging audience. One crowd member even clambers up the side of the stage to deliver a wholly inappropriate Bez impression.
The end of the set includes ‘Saddest’, a doleful, off-kilter ballad. Sambol’s yearning voice is a reminder that, for the most part, The Strange Boys’ have eschewed their more delicate tunes in favour of brasher honky-tonk material. It’s a shame they don’t give songs like ‘Over the River’ and ‘Through the Woulds’ an airing. Maybe lack of confidence is a factor.
They end with ‘Be Brave’, a sloppy sing-along from their 2010 album of the same name. Without a goodbye or an encore, they’re gone. Strange behaviour indeed.