4 piece alternative band Wunderhorse are by now a well established act in their scene. From supporting Fontaines D.C and Pixies and to having an excellently well received debut album ‘Cub’, both fans and critics expect the band to pave the way to their own success.
Playing to a sold out crowd at the 02 Ritz venue in Manchester, they proved to all in attendance that they’re worth the hype.
Support act ‘Basht’ were more than worthy of a spot on the bill. Look no further than, ‘Never Love’ and ‘Tomorrow’, both showing contrasting directions that the band have the talent to explore. The Irish alternative act will be one to keep an eye on in the next year; while still raw their songwriting shows extreme promise and talent.
Wunderhorse’s setlist was split between cuts from ‘Cub’ and unreleased tracks (some of which stole the show).
Opener ‘Leader of the Pack’ is never a disappointment to witness in person — the opening guitar riff alone is enough to entice excitement amongst the crowd.
Unreleased track ‘Midas’ has to be the first single for their next album, possessing punchy guitar leads and an incredible lyrical flow — it rivals ‘Leader’ for their biggest banger.
In fact, unreleased songs being the highlights of the setlist was an ongoing occurrence. ‘Do You Feel The Rain?’ is another single for fans to look forward to, it’s instrumental is slow and hopeful. Lead guitarist Fowler stood out most on the track, playing crisp lines over Slater’s vocals.
Jacob Slater’s presence as a frontman as the band only seems to grow with every show. Emphatic and energetic in his performance, his screams and yells were joined by cheers from the sold-out crowd all in awe of his musicianship.
‘17′ sounded punchier live compared to the recording thanks to a key change; it’s a completely different song when played on stage and leaves fans wanting a live album of their excellent debut.
As the lights dimmed to a particular shade of blue, it seemed that the crowd were about to get what they were waiting for. ‘Teal’s now iconic lyric, “What if it did Katie? What if it killed her?”, lyric will always be sang by all in attendance. Their most popular song is not just an unbelievable song to witness live, but also one of the best songs to be released in recent years.
Set closer ‘Superman’ is perfectly haunting in its buildup; lingering chords and yells from Slater create a tangible atmosphere in the venue. “Superman, I am”, screams the frontman, raising his fist with his talent on full display. It’s already easy to imagine it being the final song on their next LP.
If Wunderhorse’s sold out Manchester show did anything, it was get the crowd excited for their follow-up album. If the singles are anything to go by, it might just be better than ‘Cub’.
Written by Niall McGreevy