Courtneeners

by Luke Beardsworth

Forum member from snortingandcavorting.com.

It may confuse many why I would pick the Courteeners as my favourite live act. They have played mid sized venues, not quite an arena and not quite intimate for the past year but they are so easy to love.

A good example of this is when I first saw them at Club 53 in Preston. Only 3 songs released at the time and a room full of new and future fans belting back the words to songs that could only have been heard a few times. This is a band that has fans that know every word to every song and for that reason, at a Courteeners gig, a crowd feels like one collective unit. Take for example, their headline slot at Manchester Academy 1; full of both United and City fans, each chanting signature chants at the other, but only in a cheeky way, like a friendly jibe almost. Then aftershow starts and it all melts away. You can be a United fan or a City fan but really, you love the Courteeners more.

It would be unfair to say its all about the crowd though. Frontman Liam Fray makes the band magical. That rare mix of arrogance and modesty that the other so called Manchester messiahs cant quite manage is highlighted when you spot Liam in the crowd watching his own support act, mingling with his fans, having pictures taken. One time a fan was thrown out for crowd surfing. Liam straight out and brought him back in.

When you think of great live bands you probably immediately think of Muse, U2, Coldplay, and other such stadium slayers. But once Cavorting rattles your teeth and Please Dont has you, the crowd, being heard louder than Liam, you will never look back.

Like this live story?

Check out the stories from the other finalists and vote for your favourite.