Wavves at Sound Control in Manchester review

Image: Wavves

It's been a gratifying week for Manchester's arm of Wavves fanatics; the anticipated link up between the band and Best Coast was confirmed via Nathan Williams marijuana saturated social media account, and of course Wavves were in town at Sound Control. 

How much more of a Mancunian welcome can you get than "play Weed Demon ya dickhead"? A genuine quote from a splinter of the crowd, but one that reaffirms the cult allegiance between band, herbal drug and audience member.

Someone makes a point that everyone is dressed like Mac Demarco, which is in fact partly true: the slacker trend is booming with rolled up jeans, five panel caps and roughed up Vans frequenting the room. It's a largely youthful crowd, one firmly hyped for Wavves airing off their lo-fi skate punk and Williams' livened presence. 

New album V is Wavves latest progression from bedroom produced surf rock into punkier territory and it's telling on the night as the band lean into chasms of hurtling punk rhythms like set opener 'Sail to the Sun'.

Not a moment passes by throughout the set without a crowd surfer being ferried on the horizon to an awaiting security guard. It's this carefree demeanour that maximises Wavves appeal; sounding off about John Cena and going insane duly reflects onto the whizzed up crowd.  

Their latest album, V, was the first to be released on Warner Brothers for the band: Williams yelled his discontent at being seen as a money sign for the label and for them to "fuck it all up".

The extent of the labels intervention remains to be seem on the album, but we're certain that the band didn't give them much of a say after interjecting the crowd with "We have a set-list, we're not a karaoke machine".

Noticeably the songs that resonate with more clarity on the night are the hook heavy numbers; 'Way Too Much' (above) and 'Heavy Metal Detox' particularly branch this thought with their sing-a-along allure in comparison to the tunnelling force of tracks like 'My Head Hurts' and 'Bug', or the distortion of crowd favourite 'Post Acid'.

What's evident from the hopping of albums old and new is that Wavves are still iron hot with their fan base and they're still the undying kings of slacker lo-fi. 

Whether firing off their King Of The Beach era salt-sprayed rhythms or their new-fangled punk approach, Williams and co have garnered a remarkable cult following and they're still one humongous ball of goth prodding, weed puffed fun when thrust from the studio into a live setting.  

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