Wait worth it as Doves come home to roost

The Doves, Manchester Academy

WE’VE had to wait a long time for the Doves to play in their home town of Manchester but the trio proved they’re truly worth waiting for with a blistering show at the Academy.

From the opening number to the encore the Manchester City fans did nothing but impress to the delight of their loyal local following. It’s been four years since they last performed in these parts and fans have also had to wait patiently for a follow up to 2005’s “Some Cities”.

New fans were given plenty to whet their appetites with several numbers from recent release “Kingdom of Rust” and the band didn’t forget their long time followers with a myriad of tracks from the first three albums. When a fight broke out in the crowd during “Almost Forgot Myself” frontman Andy Williams stopped the show and dealt with the brawl before picking up where he left off.

From their dance roots with Sub Sub the band have matured with each album and have the quiet confidence to rely on nothing but great songs when playing live. There were no costume changes, no breaks between songs and no messing around — they just came on and showed us all why we love them so much.

I can confidently guarantee every member of the crowd at the sold out Academy left with a smile on their face — let’s hope they don’t leave it so long next time.