“This one is for Keir Starmer” Larry Love states as the band launch into ‘Mansion on the Hill’. A song calling out the corrupt elites and the frontman of Alabama 3 has just directed it at the Prime Minister, clad in a silver suit and shades. Entertaining doesn’t begin to cover it.
At the start of the show, Alabama 3 emerge onto the stage, Love and Sister Sheena both dressed in silver outfits, like something from an 80s sci-fi flop. They somehow manage to pull it off though, starting the show with their new single, ‘Sex Machine Learning’. It gets the crowd going, some of which look like they could have indulged in some herbal substances before entering The Ritz tonight. After the political call out with ‘Mansion on the Hill’, the band go into their biggest hit early into the set, and what an astounding performance of it too. ‘Woke Up This Morning’ shakes the entire room, quite literally with The Spirit’s Keyboard Bass vibrating through everyone. Sister Sheena is giving it Suzi Quatro with the backing vocals as well, the whole band just put maximum effort into it. I can see Tony Soprano driving through the New Jersey Turnpike in my mind. Love quips after the song is over, “If any of the people that are just fans of The Sopranos want to leave now then go ahead”, nice to see the acknowledgement from the man himself about the TV show’s opening. Then we’re treated to ‘Speed of Sound of Loneliness’, Harpo Strangelove’s Harmonica taking a life of its own during the number. I always liked the line “Out there running just to be on the run”, and live it sounds even nicer, soulful almost.
‘Ain’t Goin’ To Goa’ almost makes you feel like you could rise off the floor, a very soulful acid house tune, and live mixed with the colourful light displays it sends you to a different dimension. And then just when you thought one dig at a politician was the last, Love comes out with “This one is for Nigel Fucking Farage” before playing ‘Woody Guthrie’. The beat of the song feels like the stomping feet of a revolution. ‘Too Sick To Pray’ came next, and again the bass is absolutely blasting. Love’s sluggish dance moves certainly make for interesting viewing too. There is just one thing that is weirding me out this whole time, the band are using AI videos as projection displays, and it looks god awful. I’m sure to those that are too out of it to pay attention it doesn’t make a difference, but it is disturbing how weird the projections are, and they weren’t even made by a human. Frightening. After a hyper performance of ‘Hypo Full of Love’ the band leave and then return for an encore. They start with this song that sounds like it could have been written by AI about margaritas, paired with again very strange visuals to match. The classic ‘U Don’t Dans 2 Tekno’ is played too, and it’s great live, that mix of country and house music that anywhere else wouldn’t work, works perfectly here. Then the band finish as they started, ‘Sex Machine Learning’ is played but this time, they are joined by the support act Jacques. A fun time all around.
Alabama 3 were enjoyable to watch at the O2 Ritz, even if the AI backdrops were a tad disturbing. They still have that massive house and country sound nailed, and they were amazing entertainers, dressed in funny silver suits and putting a lot of energy into the songs. And in memoriam, Larry Love dedicated the gig to Mani from The Stone Roses, a sentiment that the Manchester crowd appreciated greatly. Remember, you don’t dance to techno anymore, but there’s always room for some country acid house somewhere in the world.
