That lightbulb moment...
Alright so Gullivers might be one of Manchester's smaller venues but it's still another sell out show for Eureka Machines as they build on the unbridled success of recent album Remain In Hope. It would be easy to dismiss Eureka Machines just as pop punk but they are much more than that. Once you get beneath the riffs there is a lot going on, it's clever, articulate and multi- layered and when you combine it with a high energy performance and a tightly packed crowd it's a winning formula.
With two support bands preceding them, the crowd is well warmed up by the time the band take the stage and the air of expectation is heavy. I can't imagine anyone was disappointed as what Eureka Machines have no shortage of is infectious riffs and they pull plenty of them out of the bag tonight starting with title track from the second album Champion The Underdog. Every song presents an opportunity for the crowd to sing along, which they do throughout and it results in pretty much everyone in the venue sporting a huge grin throughout the set. That includes the band for the most part! Well known for their amusing stage antics the band play their part well and it all contributes to the atmosphere of fun that surrounds tonight.
The highlight is without doubt (I'm) Wasting My Time (Yet Again), which culminates in the whole crowd singing the chorus on their own whilst the band grin like the cats that got the proverbial cream. It's quite a moment and one that isn't lost on frontman Chris Catalyst who acknowledges as much to the crowd. There are no lulls, no dips in performance from either band or crowd and when they are joined on stage at the end by Mike Pollitt (who filled in on guitar for the recent Wildhearts tour dates) for a stunning Zero Hero, the whole place starts bouncing!
Eureka Machines reminded everyone tonight why they keep coming to gigs; the energy and the buzz of a band in full flight is something that you just can't replicate in any other way. They just provide everything you want from a gig and you really couldn't fault tonight, it was superb. Why they aren't better known and playing bigger venues is beyond me, they are certainly good value for it.