Subject: All About Eve, The Mission, London Astoria 23rd Nov 1999
 Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:38:20 PST

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Well it's getting colder round here, still autumn and lots of leaves and 
there is some snow up north now. 

Quite tired nowadays, probably due to seasonal depression due to cold and 
winter etc. 

Anyway I'd been waiting for this gig for a whole one week ! It was a slow 
seller but by the end of the day there were people clamouring for tickets. 

A workmate Craig wanted to come along as well, he is a goth from way back 
- the whole thing with makeup, quite amusing to imagine. He has also shown 
us photos from his dreadlock phase. 

As the concert loomed up at the end of the day we left work and went into 
town. The doors opened at 7pm so we figured with 4 bands they would start 
playing roudn 7:45pm, we didn't like the two 'lower' bands so decided to 
waste some time walking around town. 

Last week there was a documentary on the lost youth of London, the 
prostitutes and homeless. Now when I walk around town and see young boys and 
girls waiting by the tube station or against walls I see them in a different 
light ! 

We walked around and stopped into a pub at 7:30pm. The one by Les 
Miserables. If you know London, at night you get a few dodgy characters 
selling drugs and services. From our perch against the window we looked out 
at the proceedings. 

In the cubicle next to us were fellow concertgoers all wearing black, some 
guys wearing black eye liner. Gothics really like to dye their hair so a 
girl had a shock of purple hair. Looking out thw window we saw several pass 
by. 

At 8pm, eventually we thought 'oh well' we'd best be going 'ho hum' and 
then dragging our feet we moved off. 'snarf snarf' 

Heading up Charing Cross road we pass the normal suspects of homeless and 
drunks, but this time there are shadowy black figures shuffling along the 
sidewalk. 

We passed the ticket touts and saw a line of goths so we joined them. I 
hadn't really thought that people took gothdom seriously these days to turn 
up in mass. 

Goth had its heydey in the late eighties here so hence people would have 
moved on. Though it doesn't seem like it. The crowd are a mixture of young 
ones plus old twenty somethings like me which listened to this sort of music 
back in their teens and have mostly grown out of this phase. So I get the 
feelling that all the oldies are here for our chance to go back ten years ! 

Not forgetting those that took it too seriously and killed themselves or 
went mad !! 

The line is actually quite short outside so within 2-3 minutes we are 
inside. But when we get inside.......... 

Swarms and hordes of goths, so much black my pink tshirt (yes you heard 
right) stands out like a beacon for abuse - luckily I get none ;-) 

Every gig I have been to, I have been in the majority of tall people, but 
here there are so many tall guys it's unbelievable; mounds of teased black 
hair, eyeliner, purple/orange/green hair, leather bodices, lace....as the 
night progressed I would get a mouthful of each... 

Anyway we move our way into the middle. The place is packed. It's a little 
under 8pm and All About Eve are onstage ! bad timing or what ! Luckily I 
found out we came in halfway through the first song so I didn't miss a 
thing. 

Phased 
Shelter From The Rain 
In The Clouds 
Strange Way 
Are You Lonely 
Freeze 
What Kind Of Fool 
Every Angel 
Outshine The Sun 

I was glad they did 'What Kind Of Fool', the title had been on the tip of 
my tongue as one song I would like to hear but couln't remember it. 

They had several fans in the crowd, next to me a large fat guy all in 
black with teased hair and lace sleeves was waving his arms about singing 
along. 

We then waited for half an hour while they set up. In front of us were two 
thirty-something sisters. Making a lot of noise making sure no one tall 
stood in front of their way. This suited us ! 

We were about 15 metres from the front. 

Eventually the lights dimmed and the crowd roared. The band came out and 
as anticipated the crowd surged forward, the other three got pulled ahead, I 
opted to stay back. To the right of me the most frightening skinhead 
literally barges through with fists and elbows flying. Short stocky and lots 
of tattoos. 

As the night wore on I would eventually get moved right to the back as the 
moshing circle would extend out to envelope me whenever a popular song come 
on, i.e. every 1-2 songs ! 
At the end I ended up next to some italian guys will frizzy hair. 


Beyond the pale, 
Hands Across the Ocean, 
Into the Blue, 
Butterfly On a Wheel, 
Raising Cain, 
Severina, 
??, 
Swoon, 
Garden of Delight, 
Blood Brother, 
Tower of Strength, 
Deliverence, 

Encore: 

I Can't Help Falling In Love With You 
Dancing Barefoot 
You Are Like A Hurricane 
Crystal Ocean 

Last Encore: Marian/Wasteland, 1969 

It was about 4 songs in that I thought of something that I normally think 
of before going to a concert. 
i.e. what songs would they sing ? 
At this point i realised that they haven't had an album for a long time 
and hence this would be tantamount to a greatest hits concert. And I am 
right as they barrel without stopping for four songs nonstop. 

The main song I wanted was Tower Of Strength. For this the crowd really 
got into it, with lots of airpunching, people on top of people's shoulders 
on TOP of people's shoulders !  People standing on shoulder and linking 
hands ('pyramids'). Very emotional, I got some photos so hope they turn out 
okay. 

Craig told me they always finish with the same song, and when this started 
the crowd went crazy and so did everyone around me so I decided to jump in 
and batter myself around a bit. 

We rushed for the exit as we had to get back home quickly. I would find 
out later I missed the merchandise stall which was a shame as I wanted a 
tshirt. BUT outside there were fake tshirt sellers so I picked one up, XL 
size but still okay. 

Unfortunately I didn't get tickets for Bowie, they sold out in 10 minutes. 
Now I saw a pair being auctioned off for 100 pounds a piece ! I didn't get 
tickets for Paul McCartney and Michael Parkinson but got some for Sting with 
Parkinson and hopefully the Christmas 'French and Saunders' special  ! 

fin