Razorlight @ Manchester Academy 1  - 9th December '03
			It seems somewhat fitting that Anglo-Swede garage punks Razorlight should end the year as the main support to an imminently retiring Suede.  After all, having spent the past six months incessantly proclaimed as the nation's greatest new guitar outfit, the opportunity for the Euro four to be there as a former 'Best New Band In Britain' waves one last goodbye and hands over the UK rock baton was surely too good to miss.  Either that or having opened for practically every other band that's toured our fair isle since the summer they simply had yet to tick Suede off the list.  Either way, the good news is that Razorlight are here and they're still a fantastically enthralling live band.  Sounding tighter than a wrought iron drum skin, and emanating more testosterone-fuelled charisma than a stadium of Justin Timberlakes, Johnny Borrell and cohorts present the type of blistering rock 'n' roll show that more than justifies their illustrious reputation.  Granted, half a year on from their arrival, little has really changed, both in terms of music and performance, with all the typical nu-Strokes, sub-Clash and Television-aping comparisons applicable.  But when you've got it as good as Razorlight there really is no need to change anything.  As such, from the minute they arrive onstage and tear through pounding renditions of 'Rip It Up', 'In The City', 'Stumble And Fall', to thier thunderous departure 45 minutes later, they present an effortless lesson in how to do raw, passionate and fevered garage rock, As the whimpering demise of their headlining tour partners shows, stratospheric rises can often lead to decidedly deflated falls.  But for now, six months on from their noisy arrival, Razorlight's status as one of Britain's most promising new bands remains defiantly in rude health.