Mandy, Indiana live review: a resounding sonic statement
Live performance will always be the best way to get the true measure of an artist. The medium of expression allows the audience to get a full reading of every facet of a sonic palette and to truly understand a band. This was reaffirmed as Manchester’s finest sonic insurgents, Mandy, Indiana, took Village Underground by storm.
In my near-decade living in London, I could not believe I had never visited the Shoreditch venue. A storied place that has seen many acts at the forefront of music take to its stage, it seemed natural that this should be where one of the country’s foremost innovators should choose to stop in the capital. In truth, I didn’t know what to expect, as this was my first time watching the band and, indeed, the first visit to the location, so it was, in a sense, a night of jumping headfirst into the unknown.
Upon arrival, the buzz from the audience was palpable, carried by the natural reverb of a setting fit for a congregation with its Church-like high ceilings. It was a complex mix of denizens, ranging from default blokes to mulleted student types. Yet, in a rare sign of humanity, all mingled without an issue as they awaited the band. I’ve been to many shows where the audience ruins the experience, but this wasn’t the case with Mandy, Indiana; I felt a strange sense of calm at being locked in such a tightly packed cluster of aesthetic and spiritual juxtapositions. London crowds aren’t known for being the most welcoming, but this time out, they were figuratively open-armed, which speaks to the force of the musicians yet to take the stage.
Adding to the sense of calm before Mandy, Indiana pierced our senses was the relief that the beers were relatively cheap for the capital. The cold amber of Estrella stubbies were flowing, briefly assuaging the bottomless chasm of my soul with their mildly intoxicating properties. With little signal, we were also compelled to talk to each other – ironic given the headliner’s astute echoing of the complexities of the technological age.
Then, the headliners briskly walked on, kicking off raucously in an instant. What ensued was 45 minutes of unadulterated creative purpose.
As the band only have one album, 2023’s I’ve Seen a Way, and the aptly titled …EP to their name, the set seemed to come and go in a burst of light. From the first reverberation to the last, the audience was locked in a trance. The dynamism of each member and Valentine Caulfield’s rhythmic French vocals maintained a sensory suspense. The deeply percussive words bounced on top of the often punishing sounds that guitarist Scott Fair, synth player Simon Catling, and drummer Alex Macdougall yielded.
I’ve Seen a Way was one of last year’s most compelling releases, but in a live capacity, the seamless blend of punk and electronic is even more profound. The bleach-haired Caulfield was mesmeric in her performance. Her vocals ranged from evil-sounding syllables to siren-like wails as she frenetically danced like a bird of paradise. It seemed that she, too, had become entranced by the music. The industrial beats and the automated crunch of Fair’s guitar were engulfing, embodying the inherent hypnosis of the technological age. This was the sound of today and tomorrow, where man becomes fully inextricable from his computerised creations.
Each member seemed to be in what some psychologists call the flow state. Fair was particularly impressive, with his assertive, effect-laden guitar tone, offering a potent partner to the animated Catling’s pulsating and often swarthy synths. Macdougall held it all together, whose grooves facilitated every jump between the nodes of emotions. A doff of the cap must also go to the sound tech who produced such a crisp snare and hi-hat sound.
Whether it be the frantic futurism of ‘Peach Fuzz’, the direct Berlin-esque techno of ‘Injury Detail’ or even the unsettling drones of ‘Pinking Shears’, each piece was brought to life with verve and created a profound sensory overload. The band seemed to precisely fulfil their mission.
In no time at all, the lights were on, bringing us crashing back to reality. Everyone was promptly ushered out into the night. An afterparty at the Sebright Arms was firmly on the cards.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.