- Tommy Shooter
- 50 Year Old Man
- Wolf Kidult Man
- Theme from Sparta FC
- Fall Sound
- I’ve Been Duped
- Pacifying Joint
- Senior Twilight Stock Replacer
- Wings
- Mr. Pharmacist
- Blindness
- White Lightning
NOTES
61 minutes
An above average recording which suffers a tad from big hall dynamics and a low mix on Pete’s guitar in places. Put it this way it sounds better on the PC than it does in the car.
The set-list the band had drawn is abandoned half-way through as Mark drags the troops off stage for a little management.
Mark enters 3:18 into a good reading of “Tommy Shooter” and 2008 appears to concern the long-long days of obsolescence. Vocals are not particularly easy to discern the words but it appears that to some degree Mark has re-introduced “Crap Rap”. Mark says that all he finds when he goes down to “Manchester Town” he only finds is trendy bars – perhaps indicating that there are no drinking establishments for 50 year old men. The bluesy swagger of the song is well realised but perhaps the rhythm is not syncopated enough to give it that real earthy feel it deserves.
More blues with the slinky “Wolf Kidult” replete with howling from Mr Spurr, swirling synth, and much riffing. Some feel of edginess about this which is pure Fall.
Things get a little weird after this. Not sure I can put my finger on it but the band seems to lose something and whereas the opening three numbers had a great deal of gusto it all seems a little forced. “Sparta” seems a bit by the numbers and perhaps suffers from over-familiarity.
Mark says “It’s been a year now, since you (?) off” and launches into a slightly better “Fall Sound” with some good guitar and synth mangling going on. “Newsnight” somewhat oddly has become “CNN”. “I’ve been duped” feels a bit of a mess to me….some poor mixing leads to an uneven sound palette. “PJ” seems to have some serious fluffs and feels rushed. No wonder then that MES drags the band off stage after an abandoned “STSR” – ironically the final live performance of said tune.
Things kick off again with a sort of mutant version of “Wings”. MES vocals are a little louder/clearer from here on in. Mark has a go at British Airways. Quite a refreshingly different version of the old chestnut. Talking of old chestnuts after an extended gap “Mr P” is back and is played pretty straight.
A very odd version of “Blindness” follows – very stripped down – Pete is almost non-existent and when he does appear its to lay down some very oddly filtered chords. Mark plays a very deft keyboard solo in the middle.
Pete plays his best rockabilly riff from a good version of “White Lightning”.
Bit of an oddity in all honesty. Not the best but by the same token, not the worst. Good to hear the newer stuff developing well. The band definitely seems to be shifting towards a more riff dominated period.