The Slow Readers Club Open A New Chapter With Live Return

The Slow Readers Club are one of the best self-made stories in British rock music and one of the biggest cult bands to emerge in the last few years.

Their recently released album Knowledge Freedom Power saw the Manchester band turn over a new page with a sound not too dissimilar from early eighties synth rock; imagine OMD mixed with a touch of Inspiral Carpets you might get an idea of how the band sounds in 2023.

As “Aaron, Aaron” rang out at Manchester’s Albert Hall, The Slow Readers Club took to the stage. The fans welcomed the band who never disappointed in a ninety minute show of pure class.

Lead singer Aaron Starkie along with fellow band members opened up their set with the powerful and melodic Modernise. The track is indicative of their new sound with a post-capitalist dystopia in which the demands of technology, automation and always-on work culture overwhelms the individual until prayer becomes the only possible salvation.

Sonically it’s completely in tune with its subject matter, as ultra-precise electro beats and a buzzsaw industrial-synth riff fight for prominence with the raw humanity of Aaron Starkie’s vocal.

The fans who have had to wait three years for a hometown gig were rewarded with old favourites such as Plant The Seed and the sombre Everything I Own with Block Out The Sun going right back to their first album.

There are not many gigs were the absence of mobile phones held in the air is a rarity, tonight the talent on display kept everyone’s attention firmly on the band and their music.

Giant balloons swept over the audience as Knowledge Freedom Power was played showcasing an exhilarating, energizing anthem that seeks to spread a little more light and love in the world.

After this engaging performance it looks as if The Slow Readers Club bubble is not set to burst yet.