The Automatic - 19/07/06 - Carling Academy Birmingham I have to say, being hounded by some random and giving my email address to sign up to a support band I've never heard of isn't a pleasure I usually partake in; I prefer to hear the music first. However, on this occasion I'm prepared to make an exception, seeing as I haven't really heard much from the headliners themselves, apart from that monster song and the one about the kebab man.
 | | The Automatic |
I'm at the Carling Academy in Birmingham to see The Automatic, and I've just parted with a whopping £3.50 of my hard earned cash in exchange for a pint of beer (and it’s not even bitter!). At the moment I'm sat at a table on my own (I have no friends), soaking up the atmosphere and sipping on my ridiculously overpriced beer, while listening to a really rather funky mix of a Radiohead song. Switches As the first band come on, Switches, a distinct smell of sweat fills the air as the stage area fills with eager gig-goers. Their first song, Lay Down The Law, sets the tone for an upbeat funky performance which ends with Message From Yuz (which incidentally, makes me want to get up and jump around but I don't want to spill my overpriced all over everyone).
 | | The Automatic @ Wulfrun |
Then suddenly they disappear almost as quickly as they arrived on stage amidst whistles, claps and cheers of whooooo (always a sure-fire indication that the crowd are happy). Cat the Dog After a manic rush to the loo and the bar it’s time for the second band of the night, (these are the ones I got hounded to sign up to the mailing list). They come out and thrash into their first song, drawing everyone back to the stage. Their sound was described by the mailing list bloke as ‘very Nirvana’, which I have to admit, I wasn't too excited about but they're pretty good. If anything, they sound like Nirvana did in their first album, when they were cool. Kind of like InMe but without the screaming. Good stuff though, they know how to get the crowd going. The Automatic And then, after what seems forever (they always make you wait ages for the headlining act at big gigs), the lights go down, people get squashed up against each other and go wild as the Welsh boyos finally make an appearance.
 | | The Automatic |
Now, I have to say, although I came to this gig without really knowing (or particularly caring) much about The Automatic, it’s clear that they are really quite popular, and are more than capable of releasing the inhibitions of even the shyest gig-goers. Kebab Man When they played the hit single Raul, arms flew into the air, heads and bodies bopping all over the place, everyone singing along. I never thought so many people could get so excited about a Kebab man! But apparently, when The Automatic are in town, anything is possible. They hammer through the rest of the set until the finale, of course, Monster is finally played and the crowd are really rather pleased. And then they were gone. | 
