Man / Woman / Chainsaw
White Hotel Manchester 14/11/25
Story by Matthew Murray
17/11/2025
On a rain-slick Manchester night, the kind where the city feels like it’s humming under your feet, The White Hotel promised something special—and delivered. Before a note was played, the air already crackled with the kind of anticipation that turns a gig into a moment. This wasn’t just another show; it was one of those nights where the crowd, the venue, and the band all lock into the same electric pulse.
The show was sold out and a really excited crowd gave a collective shiver when the band finally came on to 50 Cent’s ‘In da club’, you could feel electricity in the air. If you've never been to the white hotel before it's hard to find, even with google maps guiding you because you expect to find a music venue of some kind, you know it's going to be slightly out of town, cos it is, but it will maybe be a faded glory pub. Its not, it was even harder because it was a very wet November night and the white hotel is a converted mechanics garage on an industrial estate about 200 meters from the high security Strangeways Prison. And perhaps more fittingly near the site of the legendary Manchester fashion label Joe Bloggs, kings of jeans when Manchester was Madchester. I missed the support act unfortunately, although judging by some of the crowd reaction when their name was called out later in a thank you from M/W/C there was A LOT of cheering so I’m guessing they were good. A few whoops went up when the first few bars of ‘Adam and Steve’ started up, from some much appreciative fans. They played for about 45 minutes. They are only new and don't have an album out yet, just a string of ep’s and singles over the last year or so. They have a new song coming out on monday, I think it might be called olligarcs, but I didn’t quite hear what Billy Ward, singer and guitarist, said (just checked now and it's actually called ‘Only Girl’) I loved the violin throughout, but on the final song ‘Ode to Clio’ its awesome, beautiful even. Has a bit of a feeling of, hear me out, the very end bit of Crocodile Rock by Elton John - the bit that goes ‘laaa la la la la laaaa’, anyway I love it, it makes me feel happy. I love the keyboards too, and vocals from all 3 vocalists, Vera has real presence and looks so cool on stage. Billy Doyle going for it, in an understated way, on guitar plus rocket fueled drums pushing things along from Lola Cherry. In a quiet bit between songs there were a few murmurs and then an impersonation from somewhere in the crowd of Homer Simpson pretending he has a chainsaw, it's still funny!