This
was definitely one to savour. The band were in cracking form, playing
tighter than ever and there was virtually the whole of Machine Gun
Etiquette (only Liar and Plan 9, Channel 7 missing in action) performed.
And there was a song that I've definitely not heard them do ever before!
They don't know it yet, but my thanks are due to Gina Snowdoll and
White Rabbit SKGs - thankfully they've put the set list on the Message
Board. Which is just as well - (a) as usual I couldn't remember the
actual order and (b) on the train to work after less than 4 hours
sleep I couldn't even remember which were the encore tunes.
Things kicked off with Love Song (complete with Albert Tatlock
bit and with the different MGE intro), bit strange to hear
it so early in the set, but it was a great start. Excellent sound
- the backing vocals coming through loud and clear.
Then came a real treat in the shape of Machine Gun Etiquette/Second
Time Around. First class and certainly not one I've heard live
before. Then I Just Can't Be Happy Today and then Anti Pope
which Dave dedicated to the Cambridge vicar who was moaning about
the band switching on the Christmas lights in Cambridge. "I
don't know what his problem is". Then - shock horror - These
Hands complete with Dave supplying the manic laughter. Others
along the way were History of the World, I Fall, an
electrifying Looking At You and Would You Be So Hot
(If You Didn't Have A Convector Heater according to the good Captain).
Then came the surprise of the night and very good it was too- didn't
know the song myself but it was Love Potion (thanks again WR)
which I thought at first was a new Damned song, but 'twas a cover.
Excellent and certainly fitted the Damned's sound like a glove.
Then came Absinthe and a rocking Ignite. A superb Eloise
was next - introduced by Dave in deadpan style as Happy Talk.
Then Melody Lee - Monty forced to do a longer than usual intro
while Captain was indulging in some larking about with the roadie
across the speakers. This was a great version of a great song - it
could have woken the dead.
The set proper came to an end with Neat Neat Neat (Break
on Through making a come back in the middle).
Then it was encore time - Captain now clad in schoolgirl style wearing
a grey pinafore dress, white blouse and tie. I worry about that boy.
First up was a great Jet Boy Jet Girl - Captain doing a sterling
job on lead vocals with Dave and StevefromWisconsin doing backing
vocals from the side of the stage. Then came Curtain Call followed
by another rarity - a cracking Noise Noise Noise (including
DV doing the "Isn't It Nice In Here" bit at the end).
Things closed in customary style with a particularly fine Smash
It Up - as Dave said "played by a humble boy from Croydon".
To which Captain replied "Suzy Lollipop will play it".
You see why I'm worried about him.
Worth mentioning that the "unusual" songs were very, very
well done - not a hint of "rough round the edges" about
them.
Great show and good to see the band enjoying themselves, with plenty
of the usual on stage banter.
My favourite bits:
•Captain
to a member of the audience - "You're really loud - you
remind me of Algy Ward on acid"
•Captain offering his beer to someone in the crowd who'd accused
him of drinking cold tea. Then realising he wasn't going to get
his beer back "I'm not falling for that one again you bastard"
•Pinch (who incidentally has got a rather snazzy bass drum
skin - a sort of demonic face (the drum not Pinch!) in Vince Ray
style) during one of Captain's ramblings "Any chance of
us playing a song here?"
•Dave to someone in the crowd trying to hurry things along
"Quiet I'm trying to work here"
•And the moustache has gone!
Froggy