The Matchstick Men @ The Shipping Forecast

The  Liverpool band “The Matchstick Men” are a 5 piece band made up of Lewis Wright, Paul Robbins, Iain Forsyth, Barrie May and Peter Donnelly and have achieved a strong presence on the Liverpool music scene since 2005

Their latest outing saw them play the Shipping Forecast supporting Wrench and MusicMafiaUK went along to see them do what they do best.

I suppose I went along expecting another indie band playing morose songs with gloomy looking band members shuffling their feet and moaning. But The Matchstick Men are a world away from that.

Their music is definitely cemented in the genre of rock. Heavy, fast and all encompassing.

Lewis Wright sings with emotion and energy. His vocals reminded me very much of a young Eddie Vedder back in the days when Pearl Jam were good. The intensity is there as is the stage presence. The mutual respect amongst the band is also evident. These guys like playing together and it shows.

I felt the Shipping Forecast though, left them a little confined. This is evidently a band that needs a bigger stage in order to show their full potential and even though they were a guitarist down (apparently getting a hook fitted for a hand) the sound was immense. They are a tight band also and their music flows seamlessly from rock to ballad and back again.

This is a band worth seeing. For me, a breath of fresh air from the usual drab melancholy. A band that makes you feel good makes you feel uplifted and most of all makes you feel full of energy and enthusiasm.

The band have their album launch at the Krazy House in Liverpool in July and that will definitely be a venue where The Matchstick Men will come into their own and I for one, cant wait to see it.