Tuesday 31/03/09 The Rifles @ The Ritz, Manchester

During a time in which anyone who momentarily picks up a guitar seems to be magazine covers by the end of the week, and then in the job centre by the end of the next, it is refreshing to see that tonight The Rifles not only have a huge fan base but also a number of all-encompassing anthems that could have been chanted in pubs and football matches by bleary eyed blokes if not for a lack of chart success. Early single Local Boy was used by the TV program Soccer FM in its hey day, giving the band major publicity but also making the group irresistible to lager louts. Before the gig the band had to post an announcement on their Myspace warning punters that a number of thefts had been taking place alongside this recent tour and that all valuables should be well looked after, and also trying to reassure fans that the police were on top of the situation despite only making one arrest. Hopefully very few of the fans will have left feeling robbed tonight as the price of a ticket turned out to be well worth paying.

The Manchester Ritz is a substantial venue with a large amount of standing room available on the lower deck, but what transforms this place into an atmospheric cauldron is the sheer size of the balcony which creeps toward the stage giving an extra intimate feeling rare to a gig of this size. Unfazed by the expectant eyes leering from their various vantage points, the band storm through their opener Science In Violence with precision. Old favourites She’s Got Standards and Repeated Offender signalled the beginning of a crowd surfing competition which continued throughout. What truly suggests longevity for this quintet is the way the new material is greeted. The second album’s eponymous track Great Escape is met with a karaoke approach, everyone seemingly knowing every word and feeling no inhibitions when asked to sing along. The General, written in an allusion to Mike Tyson’s boxing career, also packs as energetic a punch. Romeo and Julie is a lyrically aware indie pop slice reminiscent of other contemporaries such as The Ordinary Boys or The Rakes.                                      

Dexterity is not something on offer in this set list. There seems to be a line around the three minute mark that The Rifles are afraid of crossing, maybe it’s a health and safety issue due to the force induced from each performance but the similar pattern of each track can become monotonous, with very little experimentation on offer.  It could well be argued that if the formula isn’t broken then why try and fix it? The only things that really needs repairing after tonight’s set are guitar strings due to the frantic strumming during the finale Local Boy. Comparisons to The Jam are irrefutable but the crowd leave tonight with only one name on their lips, The Rifles, and That’s Entertainment.