Pursuit of HappinessWed 27 Oct – Lissie, Ramona
Lissie + Ramona @ Manchester Academy 2, 27th October 2010
When Karen Anne, lead singer and guitarist of tonight’s support band Ramona, takes to the stage, I can’t help but be reminded of Debbie Harry. Seeing as Lissie’s gig is completely sold out and Manchester Academy 2 is absolutely packed, I’m relegated to the back of the venue and am watching Ramona through the gaps in between the two very tall people in front of me. And from this position, Karen Anne looks and sounds both uncannily like the Blondie singer, particularly in the way she dances around the stage belting out catchy choruses, backed by a solid wall of bass-driven, three-chord pop rock and guitar riffs worthy of 90s wonderful riot grrrls Bikini Kill. Comparisons to other great female-fronted bands aside, tonight Ramona do create a sound all of their own, and facing a crowd of people who are here for headliner Lissie and Lissie only, they do a splendid job of warming up the audience, particularly with closer ‘Steve McQueen’…
Lissie + Ramona @ Manchester Academy 2, 27th October 2010
When Karen Anne, lead singer and guitarist of tonight’s support band Ramona, takes to the stage, I can’t help but be reminded of Debbie Harry. Seeing as Lissie’s gig is completely sold out and Manchester Academy 2 is absolutely packed, I’m relegated to the back of the venue and am watching Ramona through the gaps in between the two very tall people in front of me. And from this position, Karen Anne looks and sounds both uncannily like the Blondie singer, particularly in the way she dances around the stage belting out catchy choruses, backed by a solid wall of bass-driven, three-chord pop rock and guitar riffs worthy of 90s wonderful riot grrrls Bikini Kill. Comparisons to other great female-fronted bands aside, tonight Ramona do create a sound all of their own, and facing a crowd of people who are here for headliner Lissie and Lissie only, they do a splendid job of warming up the audience, particularly with closer ‘Steve McQueen’…
