YES is one of Manchester’s most iconic venues, and the pink room has achieved cult-like status in YES’ five-year tenure. In the half decade the venue has been open, their reputation as some of the best live music rooms has become legend in town. Following a huge headline show up the road at New Century Hall, Squid are playing an intimate, sweaty slot in the Pink Room as part of YES’ fifth birthday celebrations.
The band are a five-piece, crammed onto the small stage, bathed in pink, and crowded around the central drumkit of singing percussionist Ollie Judge. They launch straight into ‘Swing (In A Dream)’, the lead single from their latest studio offering, O Monolith. The new record represents an indulgence from Squid, leaning more into the weird and proggy aspects of their debut. ‘Undergrowth’ is another great live treat from the sophomore album, which is followed by a lengthy jam-number. ‘G.S.K’ from the debut follows, which really gets the Pink Room grooving early on.
Squid are rapidly establishing themselves as one of the country’s most exciting live acts, combining a vast array of instruments into diverse tunes. Some cuts are more straightforward, but its when Squid are off the leash and jamming with impunity, is when they come into their own. The expansive and groovy ‘Narrator’ is a massive high point, where the Pink Room crowd fully descends into dancing and moshing. As the number reaches it’s chaotic finale, the crowd fill in for Martha Skye-Murphy’s parts and fully go wild with the howls on the outro.
A phenomenal Charli XCX cover follows, where Squid bring their own leftfield spin on her pop-banger ‘Vroom Vroom’. Someone in the midst of the pit holds a voice recorder, with the intent of creating a bootleg of the gig. The live-rec’d boot is something I thought had died out, with gig-goers choosing to record snippets of shows on their phones, but bands with such sonic intrigue as Squid are bringing back this DIY rock pastime.
Squid close out a triumphant show with a mix of album one and two tunes, each of which sampling different aspects. Synth, brass, keys and outright industrial math-rock are all mixing about here, balanced expertly with the deft touch of master craftsmen.
Squid put on a truly superb show at one of the country’s greatest rooms for live music. What’s not to utterly love here?
