Kaleiders Live - Retro Bar Manchester

Words by Tom F-H

Manchester’s tall skyline was illuminated by the slowly dimming horizon as we walked towards Retro Bar’s hidey-hole under the railway bridge. Whether you’re looking up or down, there is always something to see in this city, and today I was making a pilgrimage back to one of the last venues that I played live music in myself, before the world was shut down for refurbishing.

From the outside, Retro is a quaint little corner of the centre that holds on to it 90s past: a small bar with outdoor seating, perfect for the early autumn night that we currently resided in. Downstairs, however, a more modern room fixed with a few neon lights, a few booths and an aptly sized stage for one of Manchester’s more pleasant grassroots music venues. It was here that the members of three bands bustled around, setting up amps and drum gear in a way which I have sorely missed doing myself.

The O’Neil Bros played without a drummer and made a slightly uncomfortable comment about something lonely men get up to in isolation. Liam Hillyer’s band were far more wholesome and played a set of classic north-west rock ‘n’ roll. Venues that have seating around the room tend to have some form of magical audience magnetism that draws everyone to the comfy places. The supports were generally loud and energetic and I think, for the best results, should have been experienced in a crowd. There were a few awkward tuning moments but generally both did a fair job of interacting with the audience and, despite the previously mentioned awkward comment, both frontmen were charismatic. I think Liam Hillyer was especially likeable as he read the room well and their performance was watchable, and he didn’t try to intrude on a more relaxed crowd. The band even did a cover of a Kaleiders track, which went down well with the audience and the headline band.

The general atmosphere of the room was very laid back. With drinks in hands, laughs were exchanged, alcohol was consumed, and I felt very comfy. Of course, when Kaleiders stepped up to the plate, vocalist Matt McClenan wasn’t going to stand for that – or should I say, was going to make me stand for them.

Kaleiders knew how to put on a show. The intro to their set was loud and drummer Alex Highcock blasted punk rhythms which drove the songs through. It was as if the energy of the whole event had been grabbed and lifted up through the roof. The instrumentals were relentless at their best, and melancholy at their most sombre. Both melody and rhythm intertwined around each other in a cacophony of pent-up punk sound in a way that many loud acts can’t seem to get right in their song-writing. Kaleiders’ form of punk is more emotional and less cheesy and pop punk, less formulaic than punk rock such as Green Day, and brings a strong focus on lyricism and melody that many noisier, traditional punk acts avoid.

Somewhere towards the end of their set, McClenan kicked his band off-stage and busted out an acoustic guitar to give us a sonic reprieve in a well-deserved break from their louder, faster tracks. This lull in the dynamics was a welcome addition to the performance, as the seated audience turned barrier crowd rested their dancing shoes and stared back into the frontman’s eyes. Everyone was having a great time. McClenan explained that the show was a long time coming, having had to postpone it at least two times. They were very happy to be able to celebrate their debut album ‘Melancholy Undertones', which released in 2020, and their single ‘Motorway Saints’, which released earlier this year. A punk band needs to promote their music through performance and the sharing of energy with a crowd, and Kaleiders played their hearts out.

In a brief conversation after the gig, McClenan expressed that he felt as though the show hadn’t gone as well as he had expected. I told him this was rubbish and that everyone had a great time. And it is true: what may have started as a more lowkey event had rapidly transformed into a ball of positive vibes, and either would have worked just fine.