This bunch of pleasant and enthusiastic future stars are given the job of closing out the live music at Are You Listening? 2025 at The Facebar.

Given the sort of festival it is, the size of the venues and the type of acts playing, roadies have been in short supply all day. If ever a couple would have been useful it is in between AK/DK and Man/Woman/Chainsaw. Everything is happening in a rush and this set really would have benefited from another ten minutes of set up time. The levels are being fiddled around with for a lot of the set and the sound is definitely “settled for” rather than “optimal.” Despite that there are still plenty of glimpses as to why this band are clocking the attention of all the major indie tastemakers out there.

Man/Woman/Chainsaw are an outrageously talented bunch, just starting to hit 20 years of age. The music released so far showcases a variety of styles. From the gloriously quirky Englishness of ‘Adam & Steve’ and ‘Ode To Clio’ through to the heavier sounds of ‘The Boss’ and ‘Sports Day.’ They are up to six bandmembers in their current live iteration with violin and keyboard complementing three guitarists and drums.

They play nine songs. Amongst this are the unreleased ‘Omppu’ and ‘Get Up and Dance.’ They show their dramatic chops from the off, starting with ‘The Boss.’ They get really involved in the heavier breakdowns, throwing themselves around and Billy Ward contorts into all sorts of shapes. ‘Adam and Steve’ goes next. The recent singles all show the growth in their songwriting skills. It goes down very well.

They are a band that create great contrasts. They move from tuneful, delicate and harmony driven to harder edged in a quick shifting of gears. They, like a number of their peers, owe a debt to Black Country, New Road who have been very influential in shaping current London trends.

‘Ode to Clio’ brings things to a rousing close. Despite the rough edges everyone present knows they have caught a band with a great future in front of them. It is a fine finish to a fine day. The only shame, it is now the furthest time away from the next Are You Listening? Festival with a whole year to wait. The organisers have smashed it out of the park for 2025 with the diverse offerings and excellent future talents. Let the 2026 line-up rumour mill begin now!