The Hold Steady, Manchester Academy 2, 19th October 2014

The first thing that strikes you about Craig Finn, the lead singer with The Hold Steady, is that this guy doesn't look like he's in a rock band. Indeed, short, bespectacled, and with a thinning thatch, he looks bookish, maybe an accountant, or an IT guru. A more than passing resemblance to Woody Allen and football manager Martin O'Neill, you might think.

Indeed, the bookishness extends to the lyrics of the elaborate stories contained within the songs. What other band would have the crowd singing along to a chorus of "Sub peoned in Texas, sequestered in Memphis"?

But don't let this fool you. The Hold Steady can rock with the best, as last night's gig at Manchester Academy 2 demonstrated.

I first came across the band back in the mid-noughties, Shaun, a guy I knew from Stalybridge Buffet Bar, sadly no longer with us, rated them. The title track from their 2008 album 'Stay Positive' then became something of a mantra as I had a bad time that year.

Finn himself struts around the stage, fingers pointing, an in-your-face-sort-of-guy. Two guitars, a bass and drums do the rest. A hard driving sound, the music just envelops you.

Anybody to compare? If you like Springsteen, you might like the Hold Steady. The stories mixed with the music mean they have a similar approach. But whilst Springsteen is an East Coast blue-collar boy, with the stories to reflect, the Hold Steady are from middle America, originating from Minneapolis although now based in Brooklyn.

You might also have heard their music if you are partial to 'Game of Thrones' - never seen it myself - but they recorded a track for the soundtrack called 'The Bear and the Maiden Fair'. Six albums on, they continue to get better.

Last night's gig at the Academy was excellent, whilst they could have played longer than an hour and 20, we got some great music....

Hold Steady, Craig's quite subdued

Craig Finn, in typical pose

The latest album, out now, is 'Teeth Dreams', from it this is 'Spinners'....

Comments

A Calder Valley Ale Trail - UPDATED May 2025

The essential guide to the pubs and bars that line the railways in the towns and villages of the beautiful Calder Valley in West Yorkshire, an area which has a lot to offer and captivate the visitor. Here's the latest, updated version.... The original Rail Ale Trail heads through the Pennines from Dewsbury through Huddersfield to Stalybridge, or vice versa, depending on your starting point. Made famous by Oz Clarke and James May on a TV drinking trip around Britain several years ago, it reached saturation point on weekends to such an extent that lager and shorts were banned by some pubs and plastic glasses introduced to the hordes of stag dos, hen parties, and fancy-dressed revellers that invaded the trans-Pennine towns and villages. There are some great pubs en route and whilst things have calmed down from a few years ago, they can still get very busy on a summer Saturday in particular. However, only a few miles away to the north, there is another trail possible which takes in s...

A Hebden Bridge Snapshot....

I spent last Saturday afternoon in Hebden Bridge, visiting a few of the pubs and bars. And whilst it was in no way an exhaustive tour, it did provide a snapshot of the town on a typically busy weekend.... Hebden Bridge is situated in the narrowest part of the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire, surrounded by steep, wooded hillsides that climb up to the Pennine moors high above. Here the Hebden Water and various streams flow off the moors into the River Calder, a location that has led to serious flooding over the years, most recently on Boxing Day 2015, although various conservation efforts to slow the flow of water off the hills along with work on the river have reduced the threat somewhat. It was the local abundance of water and the wool from the sheep who roamed the local hillsides which led to the growth of weaving in the cottages in hilltop settlements like Heptonstall when Hebden Bridge was nothing but a cluster of cottages beside the old pack horse bridge which still crosses the Heb...

Why The Rose And Crown?

Here I delve into the world of pub names which throws up a fascinating insight into our history, culture, folklore, local features, industrial heritage, agriculture, and many other weird and wonderful things. Here's a few of the things I've discovered along the way.... I have often wondered how pubs got their names, particularly the unusual ones that I've come across up and down the country. Some of these date back for centuries from a time when most of the customers were illiterate so a sign depicting a familiar object, a coat of arms, the monarch, or something relating to a trade or activity would be used rather than a written sign. Add into this local names and legends and the pub names of the country started to build up. And whilst no doubt some of the names that have appeared over the years have simply being a case of opting for something familiar rather than for any other particular reason, the names of pubs can provide a fascinating insight into the history of the co...

Real Ale, Real Music

Search This Blog