Twisted Wheel, 17th April 2008

Hotly tipped Oldham three-piece Twisted Wheel seem to have risen from relative anonymity to a swelling flurry of interest and buzz, but the standard “have I missed something?” reaction and initial cynicism is soon quelled when you see these boys live. Storming their way into their set with “Big Issue”, a scathing criticism of “a bitter smile on a homeless face”, the band set the tone for the evening; rowdy, young, Mancunian music with ska-influenced guitars and gritty yet poetic lyricism.

 

The energy with which this package is delivered is what makes people really listen; and the set packs a powerful second punch with the fast-paced “Smash It Up,” which sees the divide between casual gig-goers and fired-up fans emerge as the latter fling themselves around in front of the stage to the rolling drumbeat and repeating bass line, reminiscent of Johnny Cash.

 

New single “She’s a weapon,” reveals Twisted Wheel’s dirtier northern sound as singer Johnny snarls into the mic, but then we catch a glimpse of a less aggressive musicality in ‘Strife’; the same bleak snapshot lyrics with a brighter melody that lurches along with punk guitar riffs, drawing comparisons to the Arctic’s Mardy Bum.

 

However closing number “You Stole The Sun,” is the final blow- a frenzied cut of Twisted Wheel’s frenetic style which works the crowd into a gleeful bunch hurling beer with reckless abandon. You’re left with the feeling something genuinely great is brewing.

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