The Yellhounds: Blue Cat Café, Manchester (26/07/08)

The setting: an average bar in Manchester. The band: decidedly above-average.

The Yellhounds, formerly known as Fultons Point, have been working hard this year, touring some of Manchester's finest live music venues and becoming well-known on the scene.

Composed of Carl Atkin (drums and percussion), Brendan Cartwright (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), Sean Cartwright (lead guitar, mandolin and vocals), Tom Carver (piano, organ, fiddle and vocals) and Gareth Howard (bass guitar and vocals), the band present themselves as being 'all about the music'. First impressions make all the difference. Steering away from anything that is fashionable or mainstream, the band dress in everyday jeans and shirts, with no high-maintenance hairstyles in sight. Having stepped confidently onto the stage, they burst into action quickly.

Kicking off with 'Got No Place To Go', a foot-tapping piece with strong, bluesy-style lyrics from lead singer Brendan, meant the crowd were instantly captivated. Backed up with a rhythmic mandolin line, and held together with a strong backing on the drums, the song brought concentrated smiles onto all the band's faces.

This is a band who clearly love what they do, the music that they write, and their performances on the stage. It's this obvious passion, raw talent and belief for what they do that makes them so watchable as a group performing. It's a fair enough statement to say that The Yellhounds have no pigeon-holed sound. Their music varies from upbeat rock and roll, as demonstrated with 'Ain't Got No Home', to slower pieces, such as 'Just Wanna Ride'.

It's refreshing to see and hear a band who don't care for fashion, the mainstream, or what everyone else might be doing. The Yellhounds do their own thing...and should be kept an eye on for the future.

Rating: 5/5