The Coral and Iraina Mancini

Venue:

The Electric Ballroom, Camden

Date: 07/12/2023

The chance to see two artists who’ve made three of my favourite albums this year was too good to pass up. The Electric Ballroom is a great little venue full of history with posters on the walls, plenty of bars and incredibly intimate.

I arrived in time to see and hear Iraina Mancini. She was only on for half an hour. For those like me who know her album Undo The Blue it just confirmed her status as a new upcoming musical force. That voice, that range, those influences. A fantastic three-piece band too. Those who maybe hadn’t come across her and were there for The Coral can’t fail to have been impressed. In fact as her short set went on the bars emptied and her audience swelled. From the jazzy pop beauty of Sugar High, the soaring 60s styling of Under The Blue to the 90’s glam rock punch in the face of Deep End it was a tiumph. Get to see Iraina Mancini in a venue like this soon if you can. The stratosphere can’t be far way for her. A quick footnote. Later I saw her near the merch desk and took the opportunity to congratulate her on the performance. I was going for cool and unaffected but I suspect it came across as a bit rude. I wish I’d said more, anyway…..

Now then the Coral. They have quite simply become my favourite band of this century. Butterfly House, Coral Island and Sea Of Mirrors are all exceptionally good albums. I listened to the rest in depth for a recent  Toppermost top ten in which I tried to capture their spirit and what separates them from their contemporaries.

Like films of the wild west, pirates and urban Britain, The Coral paint vivid, cinematic soundscapes full of familiarity and wonder.

Seeing them live it all makes perfect sense. There’s romance, craft and style about The Coral that gives them another dimension. The musicality and skill is there for all to hear. James Skelly’s extraordinary voice giving them a unique sound, Paul Molloy’s guitar work is thrilling and gritty, Ian Skelly and Paul Duffy are a rhythm section to rival any and Nick Powers brings his keyboard skills to help paint those vivid, cinematic soundscapes from the pier, the dessert or the open seas. This is no ordinary band despite their beginnings during the indie landfill 2000’s.

The set was a stormer opening with Bill McCai, Pass It On and Simon Diamond then off to Coral island via People Are Strange to three tracks from the sublime Sea of Mirrors. Before a rip roaring tear the roof off finish of Jacqueline, In The Morning and a brilliantly heavy rock out Holy Revelation.

The audience loved it, of course there was an encore without let up. Goodbye and the crowd sing-a-long Dreaming Of You sent everyone home happy.

To have seen The Coral for the first time in a venue like The Electric Ballroom is an absolute treat. That romance, craft and style along with their warmth, talent and energy make for something quite different to a regular guitar band gig and is what sets them apart. They take you on a wild ride to the pier, the cinema, the carnival or the wild west. I hope you get the chance to join them soon…

The audience:

A really eclectic mix but good natured. Plenty of Gallagher and Weller look alikes among the bald heads and beards. A good female representation too. All just there for this incredible band.

It made me think..

I wish I was in a band like The Coral. So talented, so cool, so stylish. However I’m none of the above so that’s why I was stood at the back trying to blend in. The photo by the way is from my awful phone camera but I thought it quite arty…

4