Athlete

Whether you see a stripped down acoustic set or experience the full live band experience, Athlete’s smooth and slickly orchestrated live performances will not fail to make you feel right at home, whatever the venue. Joel Pott’s heartfelt and optimistic vocals, frequently fleshed out by backing vocals from the rest of the band, are the focal point of any Athlete show, and his ability to write songs that maintain a certain lyrical poignancy whilst simultaneously having that sing along vibe to them, is quite a skill! Big numbers such as ‘Wires’, ‘You got the style’ and ‘El Salvador’ are more than capable of tempting crowds to indulge in a luxurious sway, sing and clap, and although the band may no longer be hitting the charts or attracting the hype that they did in the noughties, they are certainly still capable of putting on a good show! What I most enjoyed about seeing Athlete perform live however, was their own enthusiasm and the fact that they appeared to be enjoying themselves hugely. It makes such a difference to a gig if the band themselves are not only comfortable on stage but energetic and keen to build a rapport with the the crowd that’s in front of them. All in all Athlete are a pleasure to see perform live. Don’t go in expecting exuberant mosh pits, but rather a gig infused with both optimism and nostalgia.

So I'm not actually a huge Athlete fan. Don't get me wrong I have a couple of their albums and they can definately write a tune. I suppose I just classed them in that 'anthemic indie/pop' bracket with Dodgy or Supergrass.
As it happens I was given a ticket the day before the gig and as from that point on I could not get El Salvador out of my head I thought why not.....and I'm glad I did.
It was Athlete's first gig in 11 months and really a rehearsal for their proper comeback at Kendal Calling. Squeezed into Manchester's Academy 3 the atmosphere was warm in every way. There are certainly a few bands I am passionate about so it was interesting seeing it all from a step back. Athlete probably could have only played obscure cover versions and still gone down well. As it was I pretty much knew every song - it's like the old Crowded House advent we: "You know more Crowded House (or in this case Athlete) songs than you think." All the songs from Vehicles & Animals went down a storm (can they ever escape their debut?) but the real peak was 'Wires'. They kept going through that often irritating end/encore gap by the crowd.
Are they more than their anthems. Perhaps, perhaps not but they certainly put on a good show.

Was getting excited for hearing Athlete (Joel Pott et al) were back on tour.

Was less excited when I went on the Open Air Granichen website to see that its a totally different band!

Glad I didn't immediately go and book tickets and flights :-)

Back to living in hope that they eventually come back touring!