Echobelly - 16.05.2024 - Manchester

Credit for this page goes to: John Gilman

Echobelly, a British alternative rock band, formed in London in 1992. The original lineup featured lead vocalist Sonya Madan, guitarist Glenn Johansson, bassist Alex Keyser, and drummer Andy Henderson. Echobelly rose to prominence during the Britpop era of the mid-1990s, known for their melodic sound and insightful lyrics. Their debut album, *Everyone's Got One* (1994), featured the hit single "Insomniac" and received critical acclaim, establishing them as a significant act in the Britpop movement. Their follow-up album, *On* (1995), included popular tracks like "Great Things," further solidifying their success.

Despite lineup changes and a fluctuating commercial presence, Echobelly shone brightly during the early Britpop years with catchy tunes, strong insightful lyrics, and the unique soulful voice of Sonya Madan. However, as other bands in the genre soared, Echobelly seemed to fade into the background, never achieving the huge mainstream success they thoroughly deserved.

Their debut album passed me by, but their follow-up album did not. It was a magnificent slice of indie pop bristling with energy, and I was ecstatic that the set list included a sizeable chunk from that album. Opening with the energetic "Today, Tomorrow, Sometime, Never," the sold-out Gorilla crowd was in full voice. However, the PA speakers seemed slightly behind the first few rows at the front, causing Sonya's vocals to be quiet in comparison. Moving back a few rows significantly improved the audio experience—a tip for future gigs.

Despite the slight sound issues, the overall love for Sonya was evident. One girl repeatedly shouted, "I've loved you for thirty years," to which Sonya responded, "Love you too." With five songs from the debut album and eight from the follow-up, this gig was very much for hardcore, long-term fans of the band. Classic singles were interspersed with hidden gems and deep cuts, including the B-side to "Great Things," "On Turn On," which Sonya said was too good not to play.

There was a moment every band dreads: introducing a new song from an album that hasn't been released due to label issues. Launching into "Giving It All," it went down brilliantly, sounding as fresh and relevant as ever. This risky choice was the second song in the encore after the brilliant "King of the Kerb." Sonya invited the audience to guess the last song of the encore, prompting a deluge of requests. She responded, "That's a lot of great ideas for our next tour, but you all know what the last track is gonna be," before a spine-tingling version of "Dark Therapy" brought the show to a close.

**Setlist:**

1. Today, Tomorrow, Sometime, Never

2. We Know Better

3. I Can't Imagine the World Without Me

4. Iris Art

5. Father, Ruler, King, Computer

6. Fear of Flying

7. Car Fiction

8. On Turn On (Great Things B-side)

9. Worms and Angels

10. Insomniac

11. Natural Animal