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Live Reviews

Beans On Toast

Three Wise Monkeys, Colchester

Friday 3rd December 2021

Beans On Toast

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BEANS ON TOAST – COLCHESTER – LIVE REVIEW

This is our first visit to Three Wise Monkeys in Colchester and we discover a fantastic little venue above the pub on a vibrant and Christmassy Friday night in the town centre. Our reason for visiting is cult folk singer Beans On Toast, as he hits the road to support new album, ‘Survival of the Friendliest’.

The support slots tonight from local singer Benjamin Brown and main tour support Kitty Liv sail by, which is a complement to both for their delightful performances.

Soon enough it’s time for the man himself to grace the intimate stage and for this tour he is joined by Liv, and Mystery Jets bassist Jack Flanagan to fill out his sound during portions of the set.

The first portion of the show sees the three-piece serenade the audience with a mixture of old and new tracks. New songs ‘A Beautiful Place’, ‘Blow Volcano Blow’ and ‘Not Everyone Thinks We’re Doomed’ take centre stage and showcase his wonderful new album ‘Survival of the Friendliest’.

Read our review of ‘Survival of the Friendliest’

As with all Beans On Toast shows, there are sing-a-longs galore with ‘Watching the World Go By’, ‘I’m Home When You Hold Me’ and ‘The War On War’ all coming early on. Soon its left for Beans alone to break out a number of favourites and rarities such as ‘A Whole Lot of Loving’ and ‘Peter Pan’s Playground’.

Towards the end of the night Liv and Flanagan return for another superb collaboration on songs such as ‘Humans’ and ‘Let’s Get Married Again’ from that new album.

At the end of his encore, Beans On Toast is joined on stage by long time friend and collaborator Frank Turner for ‘The Album of the Day’. A great treat for fans, and evidence that you should expect the unexpected at a Beans show.

A fantastic evening of songs, stories and laughs is closed out with ‘On & On’ which sees the main man backed by Flanagan, Liv and Turner for a truly spectacular finale. Tonight was just further evidence that Bean On Toast is an underground national treasure!

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Live Reviews

Stereophonics

Cambridge Corn Exchange

Tuesday 30th November 2021

Stereophonics

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Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, especially when related to music. Take tonight’s show from Stereophonics which is part of the 20th Anniversary Tour for classic album, ‘Just Enough Education to Perform’ as an example. Just the name of the album instantly takes me back to high school, instantly takes me back to sitting in my room and pressing play on said album in my bulky old CD player (remember those?).

Yes, musical nostalgia is a truly wonderful thing and is what ensures venues like the Corn Exchange in Cambridge are sold out for this tour.

There is no nostalgia for our young support act, Tom Speight, but after his delightful set, there will surely be many new fans. Speight’s short time on stage allows him to serenade the packed crowd with his marvellously crafted ballads. His gleaming demeanour is reciprocated by his legion of converted followers, as he ensures a superb start to the evening.

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Up next is the nostalgia we speak of, as Stereophonics get straight down to business. Spending the first hour of the night performing the album affectionately known as ‘JEEP’ in its entirety, the band take the audience in a time machine back to 2001; a much simpler time, and a time where the band were dominating the musical landscape.

Monster hits such as ‘Mr. Writer’ and ‘Have a Nice Day’ punctuate an album blessed with quality throughout. Huge crowd reactions naturally also greet the likes of ‘Vegas Two Times’, ‘Step on My Old Size Nines’ and ‘Handbags and Gladrags’.

WATCH ‘HAVE A NICE DAY’ ON YOUTUBE
Stereophonics – ‘Have A Nice Day’

A short break then sees the band return to the stage to fast forward to the present for a run of tracks include new songs ‘Hanging On Your Hinges’ and ‘Do Ya Feel My Love’ from upcoming album ‘Oochya!’.

Stereophonics have done an incredible job in staying relevant some twenty years post ‘JEEP’. The fact that these dates are intimate shows despite still being large venues says a lot. The band, of course, will return to play arenas and stadiums imminently.

It’s a pleasure therefore to be able to catch the likes of ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, ‘Just Looking’ and ‘Dakota’ as the band return to the stage for a third and final time.

This band has proven themselves to be incredibly consistent both on record and on stage and nights like this are to be cherished. Ultimately tonight is a celebration of the past that also shows that the future remains bright for Stereophonics.

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Live Reviews

The Offspring

Wembley Arena

Friday 26th November 2021

The Offspring

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THE OFFSPRING – WEMBLEY ARENA – LIVE REVIEW

As soon as The Offspring announced an arena tour with The Hives in tow, an evening of early 2000’s rock scene nostalgia was destined. With the walk down Wembley Way lit with Christmas lights, with festive music playing, a fantastic Friday night in London is in store. We just won’t mention the tube strike!

Whilst nostalgia is at the heart of the evening, we start off with something new, vital and refreshing. Bob Vylan are earning their stripes. They’ve jumped onto this tour straight from supporting Biffy Clyro last month, and they’ve just announced a headline tour for next year.

Our advice following their performance tonight is to get your tickets for said headline tour as soon as possible. Enjoy them in small venues while you can, because they belong on stages like Wembley Arena. Their politically charged punk ruckus is guaranteed to elicit a reaction one way or the other. Tonight the overwhelming majority are on board and the likes of ‘Pretty Songs’ and ‘GDP’ showcase a band with a big future.

Main support for this tour comes from The Hives, generally understood to be an incredible live act. Thankfully nothing has changed during the enforced lay-off of the past two years.

With their time on stage relatively short the band blast out their biggest hits such as ‘Main Offender’, ‘Walk Idiot Walk’, ‘Hate to Say I Told You So’ and ‘Tick Tick Boom’ to the delight of the crowd. Our headliners will need to be at the top of their game in order to match the brilliance of The Hives.

Read our review of ‘Let the Bad Times Roll’ from The Offspring

Things start well for The Offspring with ‘Staring at the Sun’, ‘Come Out and Play’ and ‘Want You Bad’ immediately getting the audience riled up. A visually simple yet stunning stage show also helps to fill the huge space of Wembley Arena and make the band seem at home on such a stage.

Whilst that word nostalgia keeps coming up, The Offspring are actually touring a new album and up next two new tracks demonstrate the quality that the band is still putting out. ‘The Opioid Diaries’ and title track ‘Let the Bad Times Roll’ are received just as well as the older tracks ‘Hit That’, ‘Hammerhead’ and ‘Bad Habit’ that follow.

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The Offspring – ‘Let The Bad Times Roll

The question of whether The Offspring can match or eclipse The Hives is already positively answered by the time we are treated to an incredible piano version of fan favourite ‘Gone Away’.

The closing run of ‘Why Don’t You Get a Job?’, ‘Original Prankster’, ‘(Can’t Get My) Head Around You’, ‘Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)’ and ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’ is as good as it gets and vindicates the bands decision to play arenas on this tour.

The encore of ‘You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid’ and ‘Self Esteem’ is the cherry on the icing of a beautiful cake that is made from three superb performances from Bob Vylan, The Hives and The Offspring. This was a thoroughly enjoyable show, which celebrates both the present and future of punk rock.

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The Darkness

Corn Exchange, Cambridge

Wednesday 24th November 2021

The Darkness

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THE DARKNESS – CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE – LIVE REVIEW

Would it be November without a tour from The Darkness? I mean can you even celebrate Christmas until you’ve heard the band play that song? In my opinion, no!

Said tour is in full gear, and tonight it finds its way into the Corn Exchange in Cambridge. The tour is in support of brand new album, ‘Motorheart’; and along for the ride are Massive Wagons.

Read our review of ‘Motorheart’ from The Darkness

After original support British Lion withdrew, some might say that the arrival of Massive Wagons late in the day wasn’t just a worthy replacement but actually an upgrade! The band have steadily built themselves a solid reputation as a band and as a live act and slots like this will only grow that reputation. Win, win then.

Tonight they are greeted warmly by the Cambridge crowd as they preview their own latest release, ‘House of Noise’. The likes of ‘In It Together’, ‘Pressure’ and ‘Bangin in Your Stereo’ mix perfectly with fan favourites ‘China Plates’ and ‘Back to the Stack’ to make for a fantastic opening set.

Crowd suitably warmed, it’s then time for that band of folklore The Darkness to shine bright on the big stage once again. To be completely honest, it’s almost a pointless job in reviewing this band as they are so prolific on stage. When you buy a ticket to The Darkness, you know that you will have a good time.

The set list for this tour is as you would expect for a new album tour – a mix of said new album and cult debut ‘Permission To Land’, with a handful of other offerings thrown in for good measure.

WATCH ‘IT’S LOVE, JIM’ ON YOUTUBE
The Darkness – ‘It’s Love, Jim’

‘Motorheart’ is another solid album of typical Darkness material and it therefore fits right in. From set opener ‘Welcome Tae Glasgae’, to the title track, to the fun ‘It’s Love, Jim’, the new material presents well live, again as you would expect really.

Naturally the biggest reactions of the evening come from the likes of early tracks ‘One Way Ticket’, ‘Growing On Me’, ‘Friday Night’ and ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’. It must be said though that the likes of ‘Open Fire’, ‘Heart Explodes’, ‘Solid Gold’ and ‘Barbarian’ from more recent albums are also now received as set staples.

Singer Justin Hawkins’ on stage banter tonight is to critique the somewhat quiet audience. Having just the night before reviewed a gig whereby I felt the need to comment on the rudeness of the crowd in talking louder than the music, it leaves me wondering just where the sweet spot is for crowd attention.

All that is left to complete the night is that old Christmas classic ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)’ with the band attired in suitably festive gear. Then the crowd can go off into the night happy and ready to celebrate the time of year, all thanks to The Darkness!

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Idlewild

Electric Brixton, London

Sunday 21st November 2021

Idlewild

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IDLEWILD – ELECTRIC BRIXTON – LIVE REVIEW

“..how does it feel to be three years late?..” – ‘You Held the World in Your Arms’, Idlewild

One knock on effect of the pandemic, albeit insignificant in the greater scheme of things yet incredibly grinding to music anoraks, is the issue of Anniversary Tours. With many such as tonight’s now out of sync. Idlewild may not be three years late, but their 25th Anniversary Tour is now in fact their not so poignant 26th Anniversary Tour!

That doesn’t temper the anticipation from the groups die-hard following with tonight sold out in advance and, even with no support act, Electric Brixton fills up early to await their heroes.

That is exactly how they are greeted when they arrive onstage and launch straight into ‘Dream Variations’, ‘Roseability’ and ‘You Held the World in Your Arms’. This sets the rest of the night up perfectly as the band celebrate every album throughout the next incredible two hours of music.

WATCH ‘DREAM VARIATIONS’ ON YOUTUBE
Idlewild – ‘Dream Variations’

Naturally for such a tour, nostalgia is prominent throughout the evening and it’s fantastic to see early mainstay bassist Bob Fairfoull joining the band on numerous older tracks throughout the evening. Whilst all the big hits as it were are in the mix, there are also some rarer tracks which help to make the evening feel special.

Idlewild have always been a stunning live band and tonight is truly a pinch yourself moment; how can this band remain this good after 26 years!  The fans certainly help, as they get more and more animated as the evening progresses.

Throughout the show you wait for the momentum to slow, for a track to fall flat, but the quality tonight is relentless. It’s therefore hard to pick highlights but ‘Little Discourage’, ‘Love Steals Us From Loneliness’, ‘Live In A Hiding Place’ and ‘El Capitan’ naturally elicit jubilation from the crowd.

The likes of ‘Collect Yourself’, ‘Everyone Says You’re So Fragile’, ‘A Ghost In The Arcade’ and ‘These Wooden Ideas’ however are equally cherished. By the time the main set concludes with ‘The Modern Way of Letting Go’ and ‘American English’ you’d be forgiven for thinking that the night has peaked.

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What immediately follows however is a real treat for old school fans as the iconic four piece version of the line-up grace the stage for early track, ‘Self Healer’. They are gradually joined by the rest of the current band as they plough through fellow early numbers ‘4 People Do Good’ and ‘Captain’.

Once again, you’d be ecstatic to finish it there, however Idlewild treat fans to  ‘When I Argue I See Shapes’ and ‘In Remote Part / Scottish Fiction’ to deliver a truly epic finale. But much like the MCU now delivers two post-credits scenes, Idlewild still have one last parting shot for the packed crowd.

Whereas those scenes usually preview the future, Idlewild return for a final encore of old favourite ‘A Film For The Future’. After 26 years tonight feels like the epic final battle against Thanos. The hope though is that it simply means that we are entering the next phase for a treasured band.

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Biffy Clyro

O2 Kentish Town Forum, London

Tuesday 2nd November 2021

Biffy Clyro

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It’s been a long road for Biffy Clyro to arrive at the O2 Kentish Town Forum in London, and I’m not talking about the M1 from their last show in Sheffield!

The band released their album, ‘A Celebration of Endings’ in August 2020 (which itself was delayed from May), having announced an arena tour to promote it, only to cancel said tour in the wake of the pandemic.

Subsequently the ‘Fingers Crossed’ tour of intimate venues was announced in the hope that live music would return in time. Sadly, this was also postponed from April until now. In the meantime the band even managed to record and release another album with ‘The Myth of the Happily Ever After’ arriving last month.

Read our review of ‘The Myth of the Happily Ever After’

Well after two albums, a cancelled tour and a postponement we are finally here, but up first is our support act. That act is the incredible Bob Vylan, a band who have created a lot of talk over the opening dates. Their politically-charged punk rock anthems have proven somewhat divisive thus far amongst the Biffy Clyro fanbase.

Tonight the duo are in their hometown and the crowd are overwhelmingly onside. They are treated to an energy-filled and impassioned performance from one of the hottest new acts around. The likes of ‘Northern Line’, ‘Pretty Songs’ and ‘We Live Here’ showcase their talents and get the bodies moving tonight. A great set from a band I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more from for one reason or another!

Finally, it’s then time for Biffy Clyro to grace what is now a very intimate stage for the mammoth rockers.  After performing their latest album in full on the first night of the tour, the band has settled into a more traditional setlist for the subsequent dates. It is however two songs from that album that commence proceedings as ‘DumDum’ and ‘A Hunger in Your Haunt’ kick things off.

WATCH ‘A HUNGER IN YOUR HAUNT’ & ‘UNKNOWN MALE 01’ ON YOUTUBE
Biffy Clyro – ‘A Hunger In Your Haunt / Unknown Male 01’

You’d not know that live music had vanished for nigh-on two years. Tonight Biffy Clyro are on top form and the well-oiled machine runs as if it has been on track the whole time. The audience respond in kind and are also on top form, which helps to create a magical atmosphere.

Biffy Clyro are a relentless artist both live and on record. Tonight the newer tracks such as ‘North of No South’, ‘Instant History’, ‘Unknown Male 01’, ‘End Of’ and ‘Space’ fit perfectly with fan favourites like ‘Biblical’, ‘Mountains’, ‘Machines’ and ‘Wolves of Winter’.

The way that the band is able to control an audience, building slowly before exploding is unteachable. The band are in their natural state as they finish off the set with ‘Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies’, ‘Bubbles’ and ‘Many of Horror’ to the delight of those in attendance.

An obligatory encore of ‘Black Chandelier’ and ‘Cop Syrup’ is enough to send the crowd home happy, remind us of what we’ve been missing and lay claim to the fact that Biffy Clyro are one of the best live acts on the planet. Most definitely worth the wait!

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Thumper

Voodoo Daddy’s Showroom, Norwich

Friday 29th October 2021

Thumper Norwich

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THUMPER – VOODOO DADDY’S SHOWROOM, NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

Think back to those dark lockdown months and the desire to once again witness the grandeur of live music; you know those huge shows by massive bands in gargantuan venues! Well yes, it’s been great to get back those festival, arena and academy shows since the reopening of live music, but those are just the tip of the iceberg.

The bread and butter of live music is happening across the county in our small and independent venues. The stadium fillers of tomorrow are honing their craft and building their reputations. This is truly where live music comes alive.

Take tonight as exhibit A. The venue is Voodoo Daddy’s Showroom, an intimate room above a pizza bar in Norwich on a vibrant Friday night ahead of Halloween. The headline act will be rising Dubliners Thumper, but up first are the supports – an important part of the grassroots music scene.

This is where young bands just starting out can earn their stripes. Up first this evening are Norwich’s own Space is Big. The young band provide a great start to the night with their politically charged, high-energy punk sound.

Our next support act come from down the road in Essex. Swimsuit Competition proceed to deliver an assured yet pulsating performance that builds towards the fantastic climax of ‘Call Me Up’ and ‘Wasted’. By the end of their set they have the crowd in the palm of their hands making us two for two so far tonight.

As we await this evenings headliners Thumper, you feel at this point that they will need to be very special to live up to the standards set so far. Luckily for Thumper and even more so for those in attendance, the sextet are more than up for the challenge!

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Thumper – ‘Topher Grace’

Flexing their musical muscles, the band are straight out of the traps with the fantastic ‘Topher Grace’. Their controlled ferocity is evident throughout their time on stage as they control the room with their unique brand of indie rock meets post-punk goodness.

Singles ‘Ad Nauseam’ and ‘The Loser’ are somehow majestic and fierce at the same time and leave you thankful to bear witness to them in a small setting while you can. Yes, no doubt about it, Thumper are destined for bigger rooms in the not too distant future.

Listen to ‘The Loser’ on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist!

As set closer ‘Down’ sends the crowd off out into night, fans can reflect on a stunning evening provided by three great young bands. Of course those arena shows are great, but it’s nights like tonight where friends are made, scenes are built and careers are begun.

Grassroots music creates the superstars of the future whilst independent venues provide a living for bar staff, security staff, sound and lighting engineers, photographers etc. The point being, do yourself a favour and get down to your local venues. Support live music and you might just discover the next big thing!

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Architects

UEA LCR, Norwich

Friday 22nd October 2021

Architects Norwich UEA

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ARCHITECTS – NORWICH UEA LCR – LIVE REVIEW

Architects are a band that have never lacked in self-belief. They have always put their faith in their music and tonight exemplifies that. No support acts, a minimalist stage presentation, just Architects on a stage blasting out their set with little in the way of bells and whistles.

Tonight at the UEA LCR in Norwich is a part of an intimate run of dates hastily arranged after the postponement of their upcoming arena tour. Those five arena shows now takes place in May next year and you’d imagine that there will be bells and maybe even a few whistles thrown in.

What the band do tonight though is prove that actually, they don’t need any of that. Whilst it would’ve been nice for a young up and coming band to get the chance to warm up the audience, the Architects fanbase are able to go from 0 to 100 as soon as the first note is played.

That first note comes from ‘Black Lungs’ which is the first of nine tracks to air from their latest album ‘For Those That Wish to Exist’. Whilst for some bands that many new songs may be overkill, for Architects it once again shows their confidence.

Their confidence is certainly well placed. ‘For Those That Wish to Exist’ will no doubt feature towards the very top of the 2021 Full Pelt Music Album of the Year List. After all we called the album “…a masterpiece of the genre…”.

Read our review of ‘For Those That Wish to Exist’

Fans are therefore delighted to finally get to experience these songs live and whilst the likes of ‘Nihilist’ and ‘Gravedigger’ are savoured it’s the new tracks such as ‘Giving Blood’, ‘Little Wonder’ and ‘Dead Butterflies’ that elicit the best reactions.

‘Holy Hell’ tracks ‘Royal Beggars’ and ‘Doomsday’ also naturally see bodies flying in the packed audience. It’s left to two more new songs however to close the show and the encore of ‘Meteor’ and ‘Animals’ perfectly round out a stunning evening of music provided by Architects.

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VUKOVI

Waterfront Studio, Norwich

Tuesday 12th October 2021

VUKOVI

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Have you ever left a show with that euphoric feeling, knowing that you’ve just witnessed one of those special life-affirming shows that remind you why you love live music? SPOILER ALERT: this was one of those shows!

Let’s unpack the evening from the beginning then shall we? It’s cold, winter as they say is coming, but that means gig season is in full flow. The venue for the evening is the Waterfront Studio in Norwich, which is a great little room above the main venue and regularly plays host to these extra special intimate shows.

Tonight is sold out with roughly 200 eager music fans in attendance for a bill set to feature 3 bands all with growing reputations and raring to get back out on the road after the pain of the past 18+ months. This show also happens to be the first night of the tour with the element of the unknown thrown in.

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First on stage is a band that has been honing their craft for a few years now and appear ready to push on to the next level, Delaire the Liar. They are fast, heavy and archaic and ensure that the crowd are warmed up suitably having been stood out in the cold a few minutes before.

Then it’s time to bring the riffs as Press To MECO arrive on stage for their first show with their new line-up. Trusted fan favourite ‘A Quick Fix’ kicks off an impactful set before the band bring their latest album, ‘Transmute’ to life on stage.

Read our review of ‘Transmute’ from Press To MECO

‘A Test of Our Resolve’ sounds absolutely massive live and deserves to see the band gracing much bigger stages in the future. The crowd are really up for it tonight and as the band close out their short but oh so sweet set with ‘Gold’ and ‘Sabotage’, everybody is left wanting more from the band.

Press To MECO were always a force to be reckoned with live and this new line-up appears to have taken them up another notch or two. So, at this point the evening is progressing extremely well and is already a great gig, but we said it was special didn’t we?

There is still one act left and that act is VUKOVI. From the moment the band take to the stage to the moment they leave, VUKOVI have the audience in the palm of their hands. There must be something in the air, because a cold Tuesday night in Norwich has no right to have a crowd so up for it.

Over the next hour or so the band blast out a set of fast-paced, highly moshable songs that can only really be described these days as bangers! The control of the stage exerted by singer Janine Shilstone is uncanny and helps to make that special atmosphere needed for this to become an elite level gig.

WATCH ‘HURT’ FROM VUKOVI ON YOUTUBE
VUKOVI – ‘HURT’

The likes of ‘C.L.A.U.D.I.A’, ‘HURT’, ‘Run/Hide’ and ‘La Di Da’ are incredible tonight but really it’s the whole set that stands out and ensures that fans are sent out back into the cold feeling warm inside.

All three bands brought it tonight and the audience reciprocated in kind. With this only being night one of the tour, do yourself a favour and grab a ticket to one of the shows, get down there early and savour three bands all proving that the future is bright for British rock music!

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Manic Street Preachers

Cambridge Corn Exchange

Monday 11th October 2021

Manic Street Preachers

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MANIC STREET PREACHERS – CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE – LIVE REVIEW

Manic Street Preachers are a legendary act at this point so it’s no surprise that their show at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge is sold out well in advance. A well-received new album doesn’t hurt either and that’s exactly what the band has in the shape of ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’!

Read our review of ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ from Manic Street Preachers

Before the band grace the stage however we get the support act, Low Hummer. Seasoned gig goers have all experienced unknown support acts that surpass expectations, and sadly also those that sound like they’ve never picked up an instrument before that night. Thankfully tonight it’s the former as Low Hummer deliver an fantastic opening performance.

Confident and assured the band are given a generous 40 minute opening set and they make the very most of it with a performance that will have won over many new fans from the packed audience. Low Hummer, remember the name, definitely ones to watch.

There really isn’t any surprise however in what comes next, as Manic Street Preachers have grown their reputation on the back of live shows. Starting tonight with ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, ‘Orwellian’ and ‘Your Love Alone Is Not Enough’ they instantly bring the crowd into play.

There are plenty of sing-a-long anthems to get through tonight with ‘You Stole the Sun From My Heart’, ‘Everything Must Go’ and ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’ all coming in the first half of the show.

Tonight is also an opportunity to witness the glory of some of the best from ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’. ‘The Secret He Had Missed’, ‘Still Snowing in Sapporo’ and ‘Complicated Illusions’ all shining in amongst the established fan favourites.

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Manic Street Preachers – ‘The Secret He Had Missed’

As the evening gets deep the band then break out a cover of Guns N Roses hit ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’. Why you might ask, but this is the Manic Street Preachers and as we touched on in our album review of ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ they have earned the right to do whatever they want.

There is still the likes of ‘Tsunami’, ‘You Love Us’ and ‘A Design For Life’ left to bring the evening to a close and as always send the crowd home happy. Long live the Manic Street Preachers!

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