GIG NUMBER SIXTY-SEVEN
Who
I arrived late again, making time to play Solomon Bites The Worm (used to great effect on Teachers) nice and loudly beforehand, thus I'd missed the first support. Even though it was nearly 9pm, the second support had yet to start so I prepared myself to endure yet more tedium. This time around it was Corporation: Blend but something wasn't right - they were really good! Although the crowd somehow didn't all get it, this was excellent loud rock music, with a bit of variety to stop all the songs becoming one repetitive whole. The drummer was mad, the singer focused and hidden behind a mop of hair, a keyboardist was creating some fantastic space age effects (particularly at the start), and a Richey Edwards look-a-like on guitar was jumping around and generally just going for it. I was surprised that they didn't all trash their instruments at the end, such was their genuine energy, and laughed as the singer just chucked something at random into the crowd with no consideration whatsoever and let everything end in a screech of noise. After seeing dozens and dozens of fuck-awful support bands, an act with that bit of talent were a breath of fresh air.
Although The Bluetones had ceased to be hip in 1996, a mixed crowd of old timers and young teenagers left me wondering where all the other twenty-somethings had gone, thus surprised that demand had allowed the show to be moved up a room. The typical brainless football fan types were out in number, getting a rather lame chant for The Bluetones going, offering me cigarettes, harassing people for not smiling inanely and naturally somehow managing to tip beer on me. If it wasn't for the fact that these guys are capable of getting a moshpit going I'd had quickly moved over to the other side! The stage was set up quite quickly considering and The Bluetones made their entrance 10 minutes late at 9:40. It looked like the same four guys who started the band, featuring Mark still looking like a rock 'n' roll star, a guitarist with a squint and two other generic indie stars! We applauded them like heroes and their declarations that this was their first gig of the year and that they hadn't got any new material to promote made me feel confident that we were in for a proper greatest hits set!
The opening number Bluetonic was powerful stuff, making me and almost everyone else simply just nod our heads and yell every word back at them! Things then reached their early peak with the glorious Solomon Bites The Worm. Although there were a few other opportunities, this was the only tune that got me moshing madly. Things then took a negative turn with two unknown b-sides before the quiet guitar came out for a run through of Keep The Home Fires Burning and an unknown tune. Despite the crowd-pleasing assurance from Mark that it would now be loud numbers for the rest of the night, several other anonymous album tracks followed and further destroyed the momentum the fantastic opening had provided. As I wasn't willing to put up with b-sides, I resolutely stood my ground and barely applauded until the proper tunes were unleashed - if everyone ignored them bands would have to play their hits! To be fair though the unknown tracks were of a moderately high standard, but a dubious choice of tunes is something that has to be countered by an incredible performance, not a reasonable one!
The most memorable part of the night for me though was the moment when they FINALLY played Cut Some Rug. It made everyone so happy that I hope the group took note that hits equals pleasure for everyone! The final two tunes from their singles collection were played closely together, which apparently were recorded to promote interest in their singles collection ("that worked!" said Mark) and The Tones wanted to put them out as singles but the "computer said no"! Although not everyone there seemed to know them, Persuasion and The Bluetones Big Score were welcome set additions and two tunes I knew to tick off my list! Also played was their "last single", although I'd never heard it before. Mark showed some good taste by proclaiming Slight Return to be his favourite track, and "the one that got your parents into us". Whether this was a reference to the universal appeal of the song or the young age of the crowd was unclear, but I was just happy to see it still in the set! After saying they were going to follow standard procedure and leave the stage then come back on, the main set was closed with yet another anonymous album track. I was getting pretty sick of them doing this now.
After counting up what was left I picked out three choice numbers that could salvage the night and make it a big thumbs up! Mudslide, MARBLEHEAD JOHNSON and If... made my shortlist, but I was delighted that they came back on with old classic Are You Blue Or Are You Blind? I'd completely forgot about that one. After letting some other guys get in there and start the heckling, I decided enough was enough and to start screaming for Marblehead Johnson. Although I often get the feeling that the band have some horrific mental block making them totally forget about their finest tune, I hope they were talking about Marblehead (The Classic) when they mumbled something about not having a clue how it was played anymore. Taking stock of the time remaining, I still prayed they'd unleash The Classic then If... to take them up to the curfew. Some fools were shouting for If... rather than Marblehead when you don't need to be very aware to guess they were going to close with If... regardless! The cheeky devils then shattered all predictions by saying they were going to do a cover version. Their astonishing choice was Between Clark And Hilldale by Love - who I'd seen just two days earlier!
Mark said something about Love having cancelled a gig and seemed totally unaware that Arthur Lee had played the very same room just 48 hours before!! Not only was this a glorious choice of cover version and an incredible coincidence, but The Bluetones did an excellent - albeit quite faithful - delivery. Only me and a few others with excellent good taste really got into it but I think Mark could see he'd made a few people very happy and he was right in thinking he'd picked a fantastic tune. So there I was hoping they'd play their best song and they cover a tune by another group which was even more wonderful. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry and whether this was good or bad! The uncharacteristically consistent encore was finished with obvious closing number If... Although this time we didn't move forwards and backwards as if it was the video, it was still an obvious end to the show, the downside being the dull ending to the tune. I always turn it off before the "ba ba ba ba ba" bit because it's just tedious and unnecessary but for some reason the crowd latched onto it as if it was the best part of the whole night. I just shook my head, thinking of Suede doing the similarly awful She's In Fashion, yet gave them the applause they'd probably earned... on balance. I don't think I'll bother paying to see them again. Their announcement of having new material to promote in the future set off the alarm bells! But The Bluetones just about pulled it off. Perhaps their saving grace this time is that they thought they were giving the crowd what they wanted, so I'll have to leave it to those on the inside to have a quiet word with them and TELL THEM TO PLAY MARBLEHEAD JOHNSON!!! Thanks guys.
Mark: 7.5/10
The Bluetones
Support
Corporation: Blend
Where
Manchester Debating Hall
When
2nd April 2005
Price
£12.50
Who with
No-one
Position
In the moshpit
Comments
Two days after seeing Arthur Lee, I ventured back into slightly less hip territory for a repeat viewing of The Bluetones after five long years. I'd originally got into them back in the heady days of 1996 then quickly got bored, getting in two live viewings in 2000 and developing a near-hatred of them due to their refusal to play either Marblehead Johnson or Cut Some Rug and obsession with bombarding us with b-sides at their shows. However, a gradual love for a few of their early singles was definitely growing so eventually I purchased The Bluetones: The Singles in a shopping binge and was shocked to find that, the more I heard it, the more I enjoyed it. After a while I liked the whole disc from start to finish - even the latter day songs! Despite the almost offensive indie simplicity of their music, I was eventually drawn in by the power of their tunes and was coming to see them again this time as a fan, armed with a knowledge of nearly twenty of their songs!
