An Airborne Toxic Event Over Manchester

"It's always great to play Manchester," says Mikel Jollett, lead singer of California indie band The Airborne Toxic Event, stretching out the 'a' in the first syllable as Americans always do, "it's where all our favourite bands come from."

Now barring the idea that Jollett says this every night, wherever the ATE are playing ("all our favourite bands come from Scunthorpe"), I'm not sure you'd immediately peg this group as Smiths fans. They've certainly got a more college rock sound than a lot of Moz-disciples you might hear, and their storytelling lyrics and ability to rock out the power chords owe more to E Street Band Springsteen than This Charming Man. But just imagine a band that combines a love for my two favourite artists... there aren't a lot of groups out there who pay allegiance to both Morrissey/Marr and Bruce - in fact, short of The Killers before they decided the wanted to be pop stars, I can't think of any. Yet last night in Manchester, as well as tracks from their excellent self-titled debut album, The Airborne Toxic Event played three well known covers. The first? I'm On Fire. The second and third? During an encore of Missy, one of their best songs, they lapsed into both Ask and Panic.

Well, that's pretty much me sold. Even despite the gigiots in the audience (and last night was gigiot central - I feel a 'bad gig behaviour' post coming on very soon), this was a night to remember. And a night to decisively chalk down The ATE as one of my favourite new bands of the year. Even if Dave did think Mikel Jollett looks like a young Leonard Rossiter... couldn't quite see it myself.