| Anyone planning to go see two scouse bands in Manchester might have been forgiven for questioning their popularity – the sibling rivalry of these two northern cities has often got the better of their fantastic musical talent…but not this evening. As Liverpool’s first musical offering, The Dead 60s, swagger on stage with the eerie blue lights caressing their poster boy good looks, you get a feeling you’re in for something special – and you’re not disappointed. Their Specials come Clash with a kiss of Stone Roses sound gets the crowd whipped up into a right ol’ frenzy which is obviously egged on by charismatic frontman Matt McManaman, who suited and booted, claims the very front of the stage as his own, and unashamedly flirts with the girlies in the crowd who are conveniently at crotch height… There’s instantly something different about this performance, it takes you while to realise, but you get there in the end – it’s like a DJ set. With no breaks between tracks the band are playing constantly – organist and guitarist Ben Gordon hops around like a blue arsed fly, a true homage to his musical talents. Charlie Turner on bass, keeps ripping up those dub bass lines good and proper and gives the crowd a lesson in how ska should be played. And then there’s Bryan Johnson on drums, he may be almost out of sight, but in no way out of mind – this boy handles those tricky rhythm changes enviably! Their first single, ‘You’re Not the Law’ is out on 10th May on Deltasonic and receives a massive welcome from Manchester. It’s difficult to ignore the Chinese whispers of approval that circulate through the crowd – The Dead 60s are going to be big. The air hangs with the aroma of anticipation as the crowd await our scouse headliners and then….they’re on! | 
