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MONSTER MAGNET and MY SLEEPING KARMA, Manchester Academy 2

The Monster Magnet autumn tour is becoming as traditional as the annual Motorhead shows we are treated to every year. This year they came to play the stoner/psychedelic classic album ‘Spine of God’ in its entirety.  ‘Spine of God’ was a landmark album in the stoner movement and laid down an early benchmark for the genre. The 1991 debut from Monster Magnet may not be considered the band’s greatest material by everyone, but it does come a very close second to ‘Dopes to Infinity’; which they played last year.

Another pleasant tradition we can thank Monster Magnet for is that they always bring along some great support bands. Over the last few years we’ve had Karma to Burn and Black Spiders to name just a couple, and this year we were not to be disappointed.

If Monster Magnet helped to start the stoner scene, it will be in very safe hands when they are gone if My Sleeping Karma are anything to go by. The German instrumentalists have just released their stonking fourth album ‘Soma’, but in the live arena the band reach sublime. Combining huge riffs and mellower passages in a similar fashion to the night’s headliners, My Sleeping Karma soon had the attention of the rapidly swelling crowd before them. The band managed to get heads banging across the room and received a buzzing round of applause by the time they’d finished. Bass player and spokesman for the band Matte thanked the Manchester crowd on several occasions in his thick German accent (as I expect most Germans possess), but the band mainly concentrate on cramming as many tracks as they can into their short set. It was the band’s first time in Manchester but they’re handed an open invitation to return by the fans thirsty for more, hopefully soon…

By the time Monster Magnet hit the stage, Academy 2 had filled up nicely to catch the opening drum flourish that introduces ‘Pill Shovel’. Dave Wyndorf strode out in his usual trusty leather jacket and trademark pencil moustache to adoration from the expectant crowd.  He postures, he gestures and he has his fans transfixed from the start like the professional frontman he is. His tendency to turn his back to the crowd when his vocals aren’t required may niggle some, but it just means when he is front centre, the impact is all the greater.

Of the other four band members onstage, none of them were a member of Monster Magnet when ‘Spine of God’ was released. This doesn’t matter; the band’s line-up has been pretty stable over the last decade or more with only the departure of Ed Mundell forcing any change to otherwise familiar faces. Mr Wyndorf is the star of the show, and as long as he’s there, there’ll always be a Monster Magnet in some shape or form.

‘Medicine’ follows ‘Pill Shovel’ as the band reeled off the album in track order and then ‘Nod Scene’ erupted out of nowhere with its gigantic riff sounding as almighty as you’d hope for. After the bomb blast of the first three tracks the show settles into the more laid back space rock that dominates the album. Lengthy passages of slow-building psychedelia with a more restrained use of the heavier stuff…but enough to keep you going; ‘Snake Dance’ is a huge song.

After completing the ‘Spine of God’ album, the band took a quick break and come back out to play a few more numbers. A slightly toned down version of ‘Tractor’ prompts an audience sing-along and the band finish off a tremendous night with “the first song Monster Magnet ever wrote” in the shape of ‘Freak Shop USA’. There was no ‘Space Lord’ or ‘Crop Circle’ as they kept the set in-keeping with the tone of ‘Spine of God’. Or maybe they were saving them for next year…

Rob W

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