Last Tuesday night saw the return of Spector to Manchester’s Deaf Institute. They graced the stage at 9.30pm for an 8 song set, headlining Ray-Ban’s ‘Long Lasting’ event, as part of their Envision Series tour, which is set to take place in cities all over the country in May and June. The Envision Series sets out to celebrate the best qualities of Ray-Ban’s legendary lenses, that being: long lasting, impact resistant, anti-glare, built to move and outshine.
The Deaf Institute, it has to said, is a reasonably small venue for a band of Spector’s calibre to play at this stage in their career, making the night even more special in that sense. This intimate gathering for the lucky few fans and industry professionals alike, proved to be nothing less than spectacular, proving that even though Spector may have been away for a little while, they haven’t lost it.
Not only were Spector on the bill, but in accompaniment to their vibrant set, we were treated to the delicious sounds of Young Kato. Arguably, the hottest and freshest new, up and coming band around right now, coming all the way from Cheltenham to sing for us and they didn’t disappoint. Their set proved to be every bit the unabashed, burst of energy, indie epic that we all were craving for, the perfect accompaniment to headliners, Spector. Young Kato are going to go far, in my opinion.
Macpherson, frontman of Spector, knows exactly how to enthral and energise a crowd, making for a captivating and truly unforgettable performance. Showing exactly why Spector were chosen as the headline act to interpret Ray-Ban’s long lasting lenses, as Spector themselves are sure to be around for a long time.
Spector once again triumphed showing exactly why they are true headliners and even though they were a member down (Christopher Burman was ill and not able to join the band on stage) but nonetheless they soared, showing exactly why Spector are indeed the true masters of indie rock. And, as frontman Macpherson exclaimed “You know when the power of sunglasses and Spector combine. You never know what will happen” this was the understatement of the night, Spector and Manchester go together like bread and butter, the crowd are always up for it.
Spector left the crowd satisfied but still craving for more. No one wanted the night to end, possibly an ode to Spector’s song “Friday Night (Don’t Ever Let It End), but alas, all good things have to end at some point, and the feeling was mutual, but as Macpherson promised “when we are ready, we’ll be back”.
And if all that wasn’t enough, everyone also had the opportunity to go and customise their own t-shirt in the style of Ray-Ban’s long lasting lenses, which they could take home with them in a stylish Ray-Ban tote bag, making the evening even more unforgettable. Ray-Ban surely knows how to put on one good event.
For a list of all the remaining Envision Series events, see below, and remember all you have to do is share your vision with Ray-Ban for the chance to win tickets to one of the events. Oh and good luck! For more information on how to win tickets, visit Ray-Ban’s website here.
‘Impact Resistant’ with Theme Park – Bristol – 25th May – West Country Boxing Club
‘Anti-Glare’ with Splashh –Leeds – 6th June – The Nation of Shopkeepers
‘Built to Move’ with Wily Moon –Birmingham – 13th June – Narrow Boat Frederick
‘Outshine’ Special London event – details to be announced
