GIG NUMBER THIRTY-FIVE
Who
Before the show I purchased a Some Call It Godcore T-shirt that, although a bit big, looks great. I was also amazed to discover that there was no support band, which is very much a bizarre event! The band had also been moved into a larger hall to accommodate all the fans. With there being no support, there was no rush to get inside the venue, so we easily got a place right towards the front. The crowd seemed like an intriguing mix of ex yobs - who'd most probably been following the band for many years - students, and generally many people of many ages: even metal fans! I also heard Half Man Half Biscuit soundchecking from outside, playing Worried Man Blues, which was strangely then not included in the set. The band's stage was totally unspectacular, with 100% emphasis on the songs. First impressions were that the guitarists looked like Keith Allen and Fred Dinage from How 2, which was very interesting, whereas the drummer looked like George Harrison. The band were visibly getting on a bit but were most definitely near the top of their musical game and still attracting new fans!
The show opened with Bob Wilson: Anchorman, quickly followed by the fantastic sing-alongs Fuckin' 'Ell It's Fred Titmus and Running Order Squabble Fest. We also got the astounding Paintball's Coming Home, Twenty Four Hour Garage People, The Best Things In Life, Used To Be In Evil Gazebo, Irk The Purists, Albert Hammond Bootleg, Bottleneck At Capel Curig, Vatican Broadside, and pretty much everything you'd want: even a short onstage game of golf! I was quite frustrated that I didn't know all the songs although most were so catchy that it made little difference! The crowd were initially quiet but, as the evening went on, an astonishing moshpit built up, peaking for the mind-blowing Look Dad No Tunes, The Trumpton Riots and Everything's A.O.R. (which at the time I'd never heard before). It was a proper pit: side to side and utterly joyous and I'm very glad to add that when I saw them play again in 2006 I purchased an excellent quality video of this show and saw myself jumping around in the crowd! Seeing so many people enjoying a show so much was truly memorable. If you're someone who understands that music is about entertainment then I suggest you check them out!
Mark: 8.5/10
Half Man Half Biscuit
Where
Manchester Debating Hall
When
30th November 2001
Price
£10.00
Who with
James
Position
Towards the front, in the moshpit
Comments
Now this truly was a moment to savour. After hearing Vatican Broadside (key line - "Who the fucking hell are Slipknot?", length - 30 seconds) on John Peel after an SFA session I was immediately a fan and, by the time the gig came up a few months later, I'd already invested in quite a few of the eight albums then on sale. Half Man Half Biscuit are most definitely not your typical band. Whereas most groups are fundamentally dull at heart, HMHB must be amongst the most entertaining acts this planet has ever seen. Imagine a lyrical genius who sings the most brilliant lines ever put on record. They also have song titles like 99% Of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd, All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit, Fuckin' 'Ell It's Fred Titmus... And this is just their first album by the way! So anyway, imagine these brilliant lyrics put into what initially seem like catchy but unspectacular tunes but you soon realise they get better each time you hear them and are amazing masterworks! And this is the point now where you can all go away and buy their records and improve your own lives, while I start to write my review!
Setlist
Bob Wilson: Anchorman
Fuckin' 'Ell It's Fred Titmus
Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes
Outbreak of Vitas Gerulaitis
On Passing Lilac Urine
Turned Up Clocked On Laid Off
The Best Things In Life
Song To The Siren/Vatican Broadside
Running Order Squabble Fest
Used To Be In Evil Gazebo
Paintball's Coming Home
New Dawn Fades
Secret Gig
Twenty Four Hour Garage People
Albert Hammond Bootleg
Lark Descending
Paradise Lost (You're The Reason Why)
Irk The Purists
Look Dad No Tunes
Bottleneck at Capel Curig
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
A Country Practice
P.R.S. Yearbook (Quick, The Drawbridge)
The Trumpton Riots
Everything's A.O.R.
