Leeds, England - The Cockpit
June 7, 2001

The most non-secret of all secret gigs ever began in the best way possible - with the usual collection of touts outside unable to grasp the fact that this gig was free and that every one of the privileged few here was a competition winner! I knew from then on, that tonight would be a very special night indeed.

As much as Radio 1 had hyped this gig, the band themselves took it all in their stride when they lumbered casually onto the stage. As they began, so did the crowd and the Granddaddies of Nu-Punk were clearly happy to get back to roots level and have themselves drowned out by an audience who literally couldn't have been more excited if they'd tried.

With a set list of such quality that it really shouldn't be allowed, this gig, plain and simple, rocked! Original Prankster, Pretty Fly, Bad Habit, Come Out and Play - all of these and more were rolled out in an ass kicking fashion which left me, and everyone else, exhausted, exhilarated and feeling very, very lucky to have witnessed something of such mammoth proportions.

Without a doubt though, the high points of the gig were the captivating rendition of Dirty Magic, which left us all spellbound, and the blistering run through of Self Esteem at the end. This really was a Punk Rock masterclass and I left, in a most non-punk way, feeling elated at the fact that I had just seen one of the biggest bands in the world less than three feet away from me. Hell, and indeed, Yeah!

Oh, and Steve Lamacq, if you're wondering who it was that elbowed you on the head during Intermission, then it was me. Sorry.

From The Cockpit