By Monk and The Dark Queen
As I said the other day, it takes something special to drag your ÜRHQ team away from the comfort of our home base and across the singular most expensive stretch of water on this dirty little planet but when this trio of dates featuring the original line-up of one of our favourite bands was announced, there was abso-fucking-lutely no fucking way we were going to miss out… it was just a matter of whether we could afford to hit up all three shows, or having to pick one (especially with the option of a Ricky Warwick hometown show on our native soil). After much weighing of the options, we plumped for the option of the middle date on this all-too-short run!
Now, I’ll admit that, despite having a couple of their singles buried deep in my vinyl archive, I was never really a fan of Balaam And The Angel (but, then, I must have enjoyed them enough to acquire and retain said releases), but I can see the merit in having them open proceedings.
Needless to say, they don’t deliver any surprises, playing it relatively safe with a measured collection of hits and pops from their back catalogue, from opener ‘Light Of The World’ through ‘Big City Fun Time Girl’ and the ecstatic ‘New Kind Of Love’ to rousing closer ‘I Love The Things You Do To Me’ in a very generous 11-song set. At times they remind of Seventies-era The Who, with their combination of pomp and groove, and the result is as sturdy and strident an opening set as you could ask for. Now, where are those old singles?
After a suitably efficient turnaround, and build up of the anticipation levels, it was, as they say in boxing, time for the main event: no, make that THE MAIN FUCKING EVENT, as this was the reason we were all gathered here this otherwise dank and cold evening in dank and cold Manchester…
Right from the off, it is obvious that this is a defiant and rebellious resurrection ya muthafuckas, and the renascent quartet are determined to take us over the edge of rock ‘n’ fuckin’ roll ecstasy. Yes, Ricky, Floyd, Tantrum and Stumpy aren’t fucking about as they ‘Power’ their and our mutual ‘Addiction’ in a no holds barred manner guaran-fuckin-teed to leave us all ‘Destroyed’ (and blissfully so) by the end of their two-hour set.
It isn’t a ‘Wrench’ as we feel a ‘Little Lost Sometimes’… but, hey, we’re not lost, as we’re in great company. The set is characterized by brilliantly timed segues, as one classic track blends seemlessly into the next, and the next, with narry a pause for breath, never mind time to fight your way through to the bar for another drink: but, then, why would you need one, as what is being laid down on stage is intoxicating enough.
With one of the set highlights for us personally being the ever-eviscerating ‘Bandaged Knees’, proceedings race towards their otherwise frenetic finale with, of course, the massive declaration that both the band and their devoted congregation are ‘Free ‘N’ Easy’. But, of course, there’s more to come, and with Warwick drawing on his four decades of experience as a consummate frontman, he knows how to keep us waiting – and, naturally, it’s worth wait, as they totally ‘Crucify’ as we continue to sing ourselves hoarse to each and every anthem.
They’re still all fucking wild. They’re still all fucking wonderful. They are still The Al-fucking-Mighty!
And they’re determined to prove that they will continue to be so, confirming that their reunion will be an annual event, based around St Andrew’s Day shows at Glasgow’s historic Barrowlands. Halle-fucking-ujah and a-fucking-men to that \m/
- Tickets for the Glasgow shows go on sale from Ticketmaster and all other dates from MyTicket on Wednesday (13 December).
- PHOTO CREDIT: All photos © The Dark Queen/Über Rock.
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