Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Albert Hall, Manchester (19/10/23)

There is no support act tonight, which caused me ponder whether I had time to go to the Cult Of Luna show nearby and catch the support acts (Gggolddd and Slow Crush) before coming here. Had I been able to buy a ticket online beforehand, I would have but I didn't fancy the prospect of queuing up without a guarantee of getting in.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela have come a long way since I last saw them, when it was just the two of them and their guitars. These days they're accompanied by a thumping backing track. The downside of this is that you can't hear Gabriela's awesome percussive guitar playing like you used to. You can still see it though. The upbeat backing track does seem to make them more accessible though and their performance is stirring. A new track, 'Monster', has an almost industrial feel and highlights how they have moved more into the world of instrumental rock. Gabriela's tapping out of the beats whilst playing is still something to behold. Rodrigo's electric guitar does jar a little though, it doesn't seem to blend as well as when they both played acoustic guitars. The backing track of new song 'The Simurgh', with them playing gently over the top, reminds me of Ed Alleyne-Johnson. The sound seems quite muddy here and everything sounds like it's fighting against everything else, although Rod's slide guitar work on it is sublime. Gab's solo showcases every facet of what she can do and more importantly, you can hear every bit of it. It is amazing.

There is a scary moment where a man near me in the crowd collapses. The band respectfully pause until it is sorted out and thankfully, he appears to be ok. 

Regular set closer 'In Between Thoughts... A New World' sums them up in a nutshell. The electric and acoustic guitars seem to initially clash but once they both get into their stride, it is really enjoyable. They are still wizards of their instruments but I definitely preferred them when they were more flamenco style rather the Latin flavoured instrumental rock sphere which they occupy now.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela ****