Tunng with Tinariwen - Manchester Academy II. 20th March 2009

Great concept this, an attempt to meld the very English folktronica of Tunng and the electrified rebel songs of Tinariwen. I, for one, was unsure what to expect. I love the work of both of these bands separately and have seen Tunng live before on which occasion they were excellent.

Tonight (and throughout this tour) Tinariwen were a three-piece of guitar, bass and percussion (there can be as many as 8 members in the full line up). As the band(s) took the stage there was a palpable air of expectation from a sold out Academy 2.

Mike Lindsay began by explaining that the bands had been together just a week so my hopes for new joint compositions seemed a bit unlikely and that's how it panned out.

For, perhaps, the first three songs there was an understandable sense that, the musicians were finding their feet. But, feet found, the sound became tighter and there was an obvious chemistry between the two groups as they alternated between Tuung and Tinariwen compossitions with the opposite numbers adding their distinctive sounds and vocalisations to great effect.

This experiment could have become an awful, po-faced, self congratulatory "we're so multicultural" love-in but the respect evident between the artists and just the joy they have in making music shone through and although this was not the creation of a new sound it was a great new way to hear the always fascinating music of two distictive groups both at the top of their games.

Catch them on the rest of the tour in the UK:
26th March - Koko, London
27th March - Concert Hall, Reading
28th March - The Rainbow Warehouse, Birmingham

If you can't manage that there are some free downlads available at Tunng's myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/thisistunng