Who
Half Man Half Biscuit
Support
Sonnenberg
Where
Bilston The Robin 2
When
2nd February 2017
Price
£20.00
Who with
Reno
Position
In the middle
Comments
I got my ticket months in advance to see HMHB for the 14th time, struggling to resist also attending their show in Coventry the month before. It would have involved an overnight stay I couldn't justify in my continuing struggle for a job amidst a recession that has been so shushed up that it feels localised to just me. I don't know if it's media silence or my being hopelessly unlucky. Checking out the setlist it seems that Coventry would have been worthwhile, including Time Flies By (When You're The Driver Of A Train), The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman, Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes, Running Order Squabble Fest, Hedley Verityesque, Tonight Matthew I'm Going To Be With Jesus, Bad Review and Outbreak Of Vitas Gerulaitis in the setlist. These were the tunes that I'd had enjoyed that weren't played tonight, although fortunately as Tonight Matthew I'm Going To Be With Jesus was the only one I'd never heard before and it was well down on my hits list, I have no need to kick myself. But hearing the rarely-played Time Flies By (When You're The Driver Of A Train) and The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman would have made a trip worth the effort, so I'm sad to have missed out, but not quite devastated. I heard the Urge For Offal album as much as I could beforehand, being aware that I hadn't given it much play when it was released, but as the show approached I ran out of time and didn't delve deeper into the back catalogue. It will always be a mystery how anyone can find time for a 40 hour job on top of normal life, but somehow I manage it when I need to. It's the incessant hassle to put in unpaid overtime at short notice that kills me, and avoiding that type of madness is my key aim. I wore my red Some Call It Godcore t-shirt, and was pleasantly surprised when my undecided mate decided to not only join me at the last minute, but offered to drive us there and back to solve his dilemma of awful public transport back to a village not served by rail.

I was picked up at 7pm, deciding to brave a thin coat and enduring a 1 minute blustery shower timed perfectly to coincide with my walking to his car. I took my sat nav along but we didn't need it in the end, meaning I had to hide it in the glove compartment while setting myself a visual reminder in the car to ensure I didn't forget to collect it after. We arrived to Bilston and stumbled upon an empty car park with no charges, not realising that a larger and fuller car park next to the venue may have been a better bet, although as the car survived intact no harm was done. Doors opened at 7:30pm and we arrived only shortly after this, briefly glimpsing the pumps in the pub adjoining the Robin and noting that the range of beer looked less impressive than inside the venue. My mate took the risk of buying his ticket on the door and they said they were only half sold out, although I find this hard to believe. Either she was exaggerating, a large number of fans are comfortable to just buy on the night, or we all just spread out strategically to make ourselves look like a sell-out crowd. There were clearly displayed instructions about only taking snapshots and not filming or using professional cameras unless told otherwise, although annoyingly the venue chose to announce before each band that photography was entirely banned, which was completely inappropriate for an otherwise laid back venue that even lets us keep glass bottles as they're sufficiently confident that people can behave responsibly. Hopefully some twat won't ruin that and cause an injury one day, but I'm delighted that the no photography policy was ignored, and the crowd simply kept a lid on it for the most part, exactly as they'd done at all the previous HMHB gigs where there was no arbitrary policy, although a ban was hinted at on the small-print of those ticket stubs.

When visiting to the National Gallery before and The Barber Institute Of Fine Arts after this gig I was absolutely thrilled that they'd lifted their pointless bans on photography, although I don't know if it was just to save the hassle of enforcing something that is ignored more and more, or if people are starting to apply some thought and realise that no harm is done, as it's only the events populated by the selfie-obsessed generation where it does get out of hand. Otherwise people moderate themselves, take the shots and short videos they want, and don't cause the slightest disruption to anyone else. I'm glad that bouncers weren't going around being dicks and enforcing their policy to create an unpleasant atmosphere, but in the 21st century we should be left alone to manage ourselves, or venues could just put a friendly notice up encouraging us to take some shots if we wished, but to use common sense. I drank a Newcastle Brown from the glass bottle, and again noted how tempting the food prices looked, but I'd already eaten beforehand. Amidst the usual HMHB audience there was a smattering of young girls who looked wildly out of place, and it was difficult to tell if they have become fans via their Dad's or if HMHB have started to amass a small cult following via YouTube or elsewhere. Either way, all diversity beyond the core crowd of middle-aged men was greatly appreciated, as the music of HMHB is something that anyone with ears and a sense of humour should enjoy. My mate held memories of there being a raised platform at the back, and asked one of the soundmen if the room had changed. Apparently there had been around 10 years ago, which would have been around my first visit to the Robin and would explain why I had vague memories of a different layout too. Also the room was better lit than it had been last time around, although I don't recall seeing the tables and chairs scattered to the sides for this show.

We ventured to the merch stand but I resisted the Satisfying The Bloodlust Of The Masses In Peacetime road sign t-shirt that always draws my eye, and also the 50p/£1 Dickie Davies Eyes records. I loved the Probe Plus spin on the vinyl with digital download code routine, as here the CD was inside the record! I will never understand the obsession with vinyl, in contrast to how I'm frustrated by the forced obsolescence of videos to bring in DVDs, as for me the leap in quality from vinyl to CD was astronomical, with records inferior in every way except perhaps for looking pretty, but I find VHS a much more nostalgic format that people would have happily stuck with, and its aggressive removal from the market could only have been a ploy to force people to rebuy everything on DVD or Blu Ray, not because they don't still enjoy videos, but because you physically can't buy a replacement player. My mate purchased Back In The D.H.S.S. on vinyl, leaving it on the side for collection after the show. He also chatted with a guy who apparently used to edit a Wolves fanzine, with Geoff listening in on the amusing bit of hero worship. We then headed toward the stage, with support band Sonnenberg kicking off the show. They announced that the girls weren't present, and their website suggests that they're a folk duo on Probe Plus who are sometimes embellished with additional members. Sadly they faded into the background as we were busy catching up, and their music simply was too gentle or not loud enough to draw our attention. Catching up with mates at gigs who I haven't talked to much beforehand just isn't something I do regularly, so I can see why people do talk during the supports, and there seems little solution other than to make sure the band in front of us is very loud or are otherwise compelling enough to draw our attention. And besides, it was nothing compared to the incessant chatting during Arcade Fire's set in 2007 at Manchester Apollo, and generally speaking if you move further forwards the fans are more focused and it becomes less of an issue. We were standing further back than I normally would for HMHB, and the crowd were unusually keen to flood the moshpit area, as they often hold back a little and are shy to populate the front of the hall.

We flicked through the listings for the Robin, noting what a beautifully described and curated line-up there was, which looked to be highly entertaining with a focus on willfully obscure acts and intriguing cover artists. An audience with Chip and Chesney Hawkes could have been a laugh, although I'd seen both separately, and if it wasn't for the fact that I am fortunate enough to live in an age when the real deals are still kind of performing I'd had been much more interested in seeing tributes such as Oasis and The Stone Roses. To my left I spotted The Humdrum Express in his trademark cap casually watching the show, making me think what a close knit and friendly community Probe must be. Neil from HMHB was also sneaking around attracting little notice, stopping to say hi to Humdrum, and also their mate who looked like he could only have been Roy Wood? Was it him!? The resemblance was frightening, and the only doubt in my mind was that he looked as Roy had looked in the 1970s and with no indication that he'd aged. Was it actually him? Who knows! Other fans have spotted him in Lincoln at a HMHB gig, but the similarity is so uncanny it can only be him, someone who makes a living impersonating him, or a superfan who enjoys being mistaken for him as often as possible. With the instantly recognisable sunglasses and hair he was hardly hiding away! I asked the guy to my right about his Dukla Prague Away Kit, and he said he'd got it in the official shop, which is only open three days a week as the team aren't especially popular. The logo on his top was flat and it had Adidas written on it, but what it lacked in vintage value it more than made up for in being a genuine Dukla Prague away shirt acquired in Prague. There were a few other of these guys around who'd made an effort, and it's always pleasing to note that HMHB attract fans who if you saw in the street you may walk the other way, but in this safe atmosphere you were comfortable that they were the good guys who have great taste in music.

The tallest guy in the world stood in front of me so we shifted to the right, and I resisted a second drink as I had no wish to lose my place or a second of the show ahead climbing those narrow stairs to the loo at the back. As per normal Neil showed up first to tune his bass, before the official start at 8:45pm, bellying my 9pm prediction. The room was incredibly warm, vindicating my decision to choose a thinner coat despite getting soaked, whereas my mate was left with little choice but to use the cloakroom. The intro tape was apparently Requiem by Killing Joke, and it proved longer than needed as the band had more than enough time to take their places and tune up, and ended up shifting awkwardly and ready to go. Carl threw his towel into the crowd in response to a fit of adoration from the screaming fans, and Ken was now sporting a beard, although the lighting and his hair colour meant it was tough to see from our vantage point. It felt like they've aged very well, looking much the same as they did in 2001, although my perception could be affected as I've seen them pretty much every year in the meantime. Nigel echoed what my mate had already said by declaring that they'd arrived via the A41, which was effectively door to door, and the set kicked off with Joy In Leeuwarden (We Are Ready). It has become a regular at the front end of the set and was a solid choice, but I more fondly recall the early days of seeing them when it felt like the opening tune had been different every time. Joy had been the opener in 2012 so lost out by virtue of not being a surprise. After Bob Wilson: Anchorman came Shit Arm, Bad Tattoo, which apparently I'd last heard in 2007. It was a good tune as my mate had commented that HMHB sound like The Libertines. Although vocally and lyrically this comparison is nonsense, I think he had a good point in purely musical terms, so I was pleased to point out that the song was about The Libs themselves. The near complete disregard for Some Call It Godcore whenever I see HMHB live continued as they played Fear My Wraith for my third time. It's entirely decent but always hard to identify, and I do wish that this great album was given more coverage besides this one song. Indeed, my affection for Godcore is probably driven by how neglected it seems to be!

The sound was very ragged at first before settling down, with Nigel's vocals perhaps too loud throughout. My mate had only got into the first album so didn't know many songs, and it was harder to follow the words and fully appreciate the tunes amidst this volume. I'd commented that HMHB would be a joke band except that the joke never wears off, and I initially expected to tire of them and was thrilled to learn that they are musically strong enough to sustain my interest continuously for 15 years and counting. Nigel tuned his guitar at one point before pointing out it wouldn't make a difference anyway, and Ken and Neil engaged in pointing wars with the mixing desk in the second half of the show to turn their instruments up or down. It felt like a bit of amusing theatre, and it was hard to gauge how frustrated they actually were by the sound levels. Nevertheless HMHB were very tight and Nigel was particularly focused, with relatively little improv. It's always tough to judge whether the improv is a consequence of forgotten lyrics, a reflection of his mood on the night, or a result of extra effort to devise unexpected twists to familiar songs. Someone asked Nigel why he wasn't wearing a Christmas jumper, reminding him that he'd done so previously, although Nigel couldn't remember and assured the fan that he'd had quickly taken it off if he had because it was so hot inside. Amusingly an inflatable seal was chucking onstage, likely in a reference to Sealclubbing. It was carefully perched on the amp to the right before Nigel was informed that the seal had a name - Ron Seal! Carl planted it on the drums at the end of the show, and presumably the band took it home with them as a memento. It could even reappear at future shows!

Totnes Bickering Fair felt like a rarity so I'm surprised to note it's pretty much a regular, whereas Old Age Killed My Teenage Bride was one of the few representations from the latest Urge For Offal album, not counting the even more recent And Some Fell On Stony Ground rarities compilation. It was unusual that neither provided a focus of the setlist, making me curious if the band just weren't keen on them or were reluctant to focus too much energy on lesser known numbers until they'd had time to sink in with the fans. I thought If I Had Possession Over Pancake Day was a newbie so I'm disappointed to learn I'd heard it back in 2002 and 2003 in Manchester. Similarly we got to hear Gubba Look-A-Likes minus the trumpet player who had added to it in Manchester many years ago. This was a rock solid setlist so far, delivering great tunes while not sticking to the territory of the obvious favourites. An advantage of HMHB is how they have always focused on the albums and never gone down the path of elevating some of those songs to singles, which has led to a pleasing democracy where all album tracks can be considered equal and fair game to play, and if anything the singles are often the rarities and non-album tracks rather than what I'd think of as the hits. When The Evening Sun Goes Down is one that has won me over via its relentless inclusion in the live set and I do wonder now how I ever doubted it. It was thrilling to hear Fuckin' 'Ell It's Fred Titmus, which used to be a guaranteed inclusion but I'd only heard it three times so far this decade, and it felt like less than that. It was very fortunate for my mate that the first album was so well represented, even if the biggest and rarest hitters were sadly overlooked. Nigel commented afterwards that it was postmodern, but the truth behind a lovely but unseasonal performance of It's Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas was simply that they'd rehearsed it for Coventry but forgotten to play it. People banging on about Xmas obsessively months in advance like their lives have no other meaning is a great frustration that demeans the actual event, but when done in February to July I reckon it can justifiably be classed as postmodern, but only just!

I'd heard Tommy Walsh's Eco House a couple of times around the release of 90 Bisodol (Crimond), and with the benefit of a few years of experience it sounded very welcome, whereas Rock 'N' Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools was distinguished solely by my mate explaining what wools actually meant in a Wirral context, proving he'd picked up at least one nugget of information from Liverpool University! I mentioned how good the HMHB website was for explaining such terminology, but I am bored of the song itself, which has been an ever-present in the setlist since being written. Although perfectly good in itself, it does suffer by comparison with tunes such as National Shite Day, and as a natural closing song it makes little sense anywhere else in the setlist, creating a sensation that things were drawing to a close when there was still plenty to go. A fan was insistently shouting for Twenty-Seven Yards Of Dental Floss last time around, so I do hope that he was around to hear his dream come true tonight! The band had gone off and re-learned the tune, and I'd never heard it before and it was a belter, so all was good. It was around this point where Ken and Neil swapped places for a bit, and the inclusion of a tune by request does make me wonder if I can get my favourites into the set simply by writing to Geoff and politely asking for them? Tempting, but stumbling across them every so often by chance is even more satisfying when I'm rewarded! This must have been the wish fulfillment segment of the evening, as next up was the never-heard King Of Hi-Vis, which went down particularly well with the actual King Of Hi-Vis who had become a regular fixture at these Bilston gigs! It seemed like he went mad and engaged in some celebratory photos with fans down the front, and although a relatively minor tune in the HMHB cannon I think we were all happy to share this special moment with the King Of Hi-Vis himself. And of course I couldn't resist commenting that he was an easy fan to spot!

Next up was The Bane Of Constance, with its catchy refrain of "Midge Ure looks like a milk thief". Somehow it was the first time I'd ever clocked onto the phrase, so I guess it can be taken as proof that HMHB see themselves as either very much Labour men or just entirely opposed to Thatcher and everything she did. In a nightmare world of Brexit and Trump, Nigel must have lots he could say on politics, but they are such obvious targets they go against the HMHB ethic of focusing on the obscure. However the countless celebrity deaths of 2016 were referenced as Nigel commented that the manager of his Odeon had died, and that the funeral was on at 1pm, 3:15 and 5:30! He also said that someone's Grandfather had passed away, but as it had been the week after Bowie it had been overshadowed in the media. Next up was A Lilac Harry Quinn, which I commented to my mate was the best so far, and although the crowd were enthusiastic unusually this didn't escalate into a moshpit. With its glorious build-up, music and lyrics, A Lilac Harry Quinn feels like the encapsulation of a perfect HMHB song. All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit meant that both Christmas songs were inappropriately present and correct, and it was an especially impassioned rendition despite its unsuitability, or maybe this only served to make it more welcome. Vatican Broadside was then delivered as a standalone, remaining the only ever-present tune, and I suspect that the day I don't hear it will be the day that the band misread their setlists and simply overlook it, as wilfully denying us these 30 seconds of magic would be too cruel. Above I suggested National Shite Day as a natural closer, so my main complaint about hearing it was that it wasn't the closer, and perhaps the thought that HMHB could have squeezed in two or three never-played tunes in its place. Nevertheless, it got the crowd going and seemed appropriate after the 2016 we'd all lived through, and a fairly sedate take on The Trumpton Riots followed it. The moshpit still didn't get going, but I could see one or two fans down the front were relentlessly taking close-up photos of Nigel.

I myself only took two, the first of which resulted in my flash accidentally going off. Although mortifying, the fact was this only happened because I was in a rush, and if there had been no arbitrary restriction I was worried about I would have bided my time and not made such a mistake. If the fan down the front was himself taking so many pictures as a form of protest then I'm all for it, and hope that the reaction next time is to follow an enlightened policy of politely encouraged photography moderation, rather than clamping down on the fans wanting to capture a special moment. During Lark Descending Nigel paused to stick his plectrum on his forehead, and the tune segued into the "what the fuck were we thinking" ending of The Unfortunate Gwatkin. We then ventured into greatest hits territory with the ever-lovely For What Is Chatteris?, before I correctly predicted that Joy Division Oven Gloves was the remaining dead-cert inclusion just before the band satisfyingly launched into it. We both pointed toward the one pair of actual Joy Division oven gloves in the crowd, and it was a delight to see that the hand gestures made something of a comeback. We finally got a bit of a moshpit for Everything's A.O.R., which I announced to be their best song, although the studio version is sadly too quiet to live up to its live wonder. Half Man Half Biscuit left the stage and my mate chose to beat the crowds by fetching his coat, leaving me alone for that inevitable token encore. It opened very nicely with Restless Legs, before an unexpected rendition of Busy Little Market Town. They'd played a snippet once before, but it was great to officially cross another tune from the classic debut off my list. We all scratched our heads next for a cover version that turned out to be Final Solution by Pere Ubu, which sounded entirely good but felt strange after I'd recognised everything else. Performing shamelessly crowd-pleasing cover versions wouldn't be the Biscuit way, although I would love to hear them play I Do Like To Re-Release My B-Sides!

The set then ended with the next most obvious omission of The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train), and who could begrudge such a crowd favourite? The guys were warmly applauded off and I had to be cued by my mate to collect a ticket stub on the way out. My ears were whistling and we drove back without an issue, as luckily the roads were now much quieter and easier to navigate. It felt very satisfying not to furnish the trams with cash given the fare they charge for a ride to Bilston! I got back home much faster too, and made some notes before writing up this review a few days later. Three big hitters that hadn't made the cut were We Built This Village On A Trad. Arr. Tune, Look Dad No Tunes and Twenty Four Hour Garage People, and I can reel off a long list of songs I'd love to hear more often. Instead I'll just rush off a list of songs that I've still yet to hear - D'Ye Ken Ted Moult, Rod Hull Is Alive - Why, The Len Ganley Stance, The Referee's Alphabet, Breaking News, Lord Hereford's Knob, You're Hard, Keeping Two Chevrons Apart, Split Single With Happy Lounge Labelmates, 4AD3DCD or indeed anything from Some Call It Godcore besides Fear My Wraith. It is frightening to consider that HMHB could mix things up so much from gig to gig but still circumnavigate so many classics, and I really hope that they start to dig into this unplayed list over my next few viewings. HMHB meanwhile have gone beyond all fashion and risk of ceasing to be relevant - these Bilston gigs are a glorious near-yearly tradition featuring a familiar mix of faces and hits with plenty of variety to keep it all interesting. I hope they'll be sponsoring the moshpits for many years to come.
Setlist
Joy In Leeuwarden (We Are Ready)
Bob Wilson: Anchorman
Shit Arm, Bad Tattoo
Fear My Wraith
Totnes Bickering Fair
Old Age Killed My Teenage Bride
If I Had Possession Over Pancake Day
Gubba Look-A-Likes
When The Evening Sun Goes Down
Fuckin' 'Ell It's Fred Titmus
It's Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas
Tommy Walsh's Eco House
Rock 'N' Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools
Twenty-Seven Yards Of Dental Floss
King Of Hi-Vis
The Bane Of Constance
A Lilac Harry Quinn
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
Vatican Broadside
National Shite Day
The Trumpton Riots
Lark Descending
The Unfortunate Gwatkin [snippet]
For What Is Chatteris?
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Everything's A.O.R.
Restless Legs
Busy Little Market Town
Final Solution
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train)

Mark: 8.0/10