News Beat
Gustaffson takes audience into ‘new dimension’ in Manchester
The band started by actor-turned-singer-songwriter, Andrew Gower, in 2020 are hot off the heels of their debut album released earlier this year.
On Friday night (November 21) the band performed a mix of hits from their first album, as well as some new material – including their latest single Dance to the Algorithm.
Gustaffson released their debut album Black and White Movie – recorded with Elbow’s Craig Potter – in March of this year.
They were playing at Low Four Studio, a small venue nestled on a back street just off Deansgate in Manchester.
The night started off with a Q and A session with Craig and Andrew, hosted by Radio 6’s Chris Hawkins – who started by saying it was a “sad 24 hours for the city”.
He was referring to the death of Mani, bassist for The Stone Roses and Primal Scream, who had sadly passed the day before.
Craig said: “When we were starting out as a band, they were huge – they were who we wanted to be.
“When you hear a Mani bassline, you know that’s a Mani bassline.”
Chris asked how Craig and Andrew first met and started collaborating, which they said was, “fittingly enough”, on a movie set.
Though writing songs from the age of 15, Andrew instead pursued a career as an actor – best known for his roles in Black Mirror and Outlander.
He said that it was the Covid pandemic that motivated him to finally take the step into music.
Andrew said: “We all had those moments where the world stopped, and I thought – what do you want to say?
“I thought, I want to be in a band because I just think it’s the best thing in the world.
“I just think the collective is more powerful than the individual.”
The band’s latest single, Dance to the Algorithm, a retro-funk song inspired by the changing way people listen to music in the face of rapid technological change.
But neither Craig nor Andrew were worried about AI overtaking real musicians.
Andrew said: “The way we consume art will probably get to a part in society when we flip and want those imperfections.”
Before wrapping up to prepare for the gig – Andrew previewed the gig with a line that bassist David Gleave had said to him earlier, “this isn’t a new sound, this isn’t a new song – this is a f***ing new dimension”.
Joined by drummer Graham Bennett, keyboardist Liam Morson and guitarist James Webster (Webbo), the quintet took the stage at 9pm.
From the start, it was clear how comfortable Andrew is on stage – his enthusiasm for his performance was infectious and at every opportunity the audience was made to feel a part of it.
The set list took us on a journey across Europe, with songs inspired by Sweden, Paris, Avignon – and even Belfast.
Launching into the second song, Some Kind of Sweden, Andrew said: “Put those hands together and follow our drummer.
“It’s as cold as Sweden right now so let’s generate some central heating.”
Andrew finished the gig by saying: “We have two powers – one is stories and the other is you guys.
“We started off talking about Mani, and we’re going to end talking about Mani.
“He put the Mani into Manchester.
“We’re so lucky to be in this city – you walk down Oldham Street and you can hear it in the walls.”
He added that they planned to walk off before their encore – but there was no chance of pushing past the audience in the intimate venue.
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And so they went into the final song of the night, Northern Baby – a love song to the North of England and tribute to Andrew’s northern roots.
The night was a fantastic performance by the band – it was impossible not to feel their passion and their talent for story telling.
I’ll be eagerly awaiting Gustaffson’s next album, coming out next year, and I’m looking forward to their next time in Manchester.
