GIG NUMBER SIXTY
Who
The support Corn Mo was already on when I got in. He was a solo guy armed with an accordion who sang some reasonably entertaining songs about his previous boring 9-5 job and life. One day he decided to quit work and go touring which is most certainly a very rock 'n' roll thing to do! His cover version of We Are The Champions was particularly moving (and random), including a rather long ranting rap about his life towards the end of it (which most certainly did not belong to the original song!). He won us over by introducing a song written about his friend at school who got into trouble because someone else pissed on him, and how he had to go back into class and no-one would ever believe it was someone else who did it!! Corn Mo went down really well with the crowd earning big applause and laughs and had certainly won me over by the end. They Might Be Giants ignored the early Sunday finish by also being ten minutes late onstage with a blast of Carmina Burana. This start, particularly because it just made it feel like a third rate Flaming Lips entrance, was very poor despite the applause it got. We then got a few tunes that weren't off Dial-A-Song so also failed to captivate me. A fantastic bit of banter with two punters down the front who were holding up two signs was amusing, with the band taking ages trying to figure out what the two words (that now escape me) meant and suggesting holding them up for alternate songs for the benefit of the poor people standing behind! This message was adhered to by the fans who didn't dare hold them up again. A far-too-long chat between the John's around this point finished with a "we'll talk about this after the show!" - an indication of what great friends they still appeared to be.
Things really took off with the fantastic I Palindrome I and Twisting, the second of which I'd never quite appreciated before. Doctor Worm then provided what, in retrospect, I'd view as the most memorable part of the night. I'd always saw it as a cheerful yet slightly annoying little ditty but, by the time the solo was introduced and as many mics as possibly were placed close to John's guitar, I was very much blown away! That bit of music was playing in my head for a long time afterwards. The crowd however remained dull, with just a few moshers towards the front. It was a lifeless lot, especially with the atmosphere-killing smelly old couple next to me, and the one lunatic moshing next to me only put me off jumping around even more! TMBG then kept the new songs going, admitting that they were here to publicise their new album, before conceding that meant flogging it to death! A big cheer came up as Corn Mo stepped back onstage and, apparently on his request, the band played the excellent Particle Man. Having two accordions going was unusual although we knew who was in charge - John's said "main squeeze" on it, and this instrument was used more than a few times in the night! The ending was extended and drawn out with some fancy accordion playing skills and this was also a highlight. As was Cyclops Rock, which rocked rather hard but still failed to get anyone moving! They Might Be Giants then said something about saving the best for the middle of the show. "Birdhouse In Your Soul" I muttered under my breath, so I was totally baffled when this "highlight" turned out to be Fingertips - a very random but not very memorable tune - followed by some songs I didn't know! Whether the band were joking with us or have a skewed view of their back catalogue I don't quite understand, although you could argue that the highlights did come by the end of the middle!
Of course another downer was that only two members of the rest of the band were called Dan. I'd rather been hoping for the band of Dan's! The drummer was introduced to us as a future president (in many years time I'll be able to come back and fill in his name I guess then) plus I also decided that the John with glasses was an excellent stage presence and that I quite liked the band. As well as a bit of keyboards a fairly random obscure instrument which you're "only allowed to use once every ten albums" was introduced with a rather unflattering introduction by the band. By the end I felt sorry for this "failed" musical instrument, which Dan used to make a few jingly noises! The above average banter probably climaxed with a Mexican wave. I'm quite sure TMBG didn't realise just how common they are in Britain so gave us a lengthy explanation. The wave started with the band at the front, went down to the bar, who were supposed to wave their hands in the air until the rest of us were satisfied by their efforts, then come back to the band at the front who would channel its energy into the rest of the song! We were given a rehearsal greeted with zero enthusiasm by the crowd before indulging in a slightly more successful Mexican wave at the appropriate point in the tune! For some reason I'm sure TMBG said something about us being a great crowd, making me worry at the sorts usually attending their gigs. I can only hope this was a pleasantry dispatched at all their shows! The band also managed to talk about how, in America, people who like the band don't like sports but how over here the situation seemed quite different. I'm not sure how they arrived at this conclusion, but avoidance of the word "geek" was very diplomatic!
The tunes continued (perhaps thankfully without any ten minute drum solos) with a song introduced as Drink! However, with its lyric mentioning being "buried alive", this was hardly the happy throwaway anthem I'd anticipated! Older was fantastic and drawn out. The crowd got some delicious nasty looks from John as they failed to come in at the right bits when singing along here! She's An Angel was also lovely, played after a few shouts for it, as was the glorious Ana Ng, although this was somewhat wasted on the lameness of the crowd. But the song I'd came here for remained Birdhouse In Your Soul and it was in many ways the high water mark which even the fictional Noah in his arc couldn't reach! I screamed "yes!" and started jumping, no longer caring for the total lack of life from just about everyone else. A few other people around me, including the aforementioned maniac, jumped with me, creating a much-needed second area of life in the venue! And, even with the sound perhaps a bit off, it was fantastic to hear, and I'm glad I went for it and started to have fun! I was surprised next up by how much I enjoyed The Guitar, which proved another possible set highlight. I carried on moshing and was well chuffed! I was also pleased we got Till My Head Falls Off as my research says this it doesn't usually make the set. Having a tune from the only normal album of theirs I've ever heard was nice and this one really rocked quite hard.
New York City was played of course, but slowed down in a beautiful way to make it without a doubt the most moving song of the night. As we approached the end of the set I was eagerly looking forward to hearing some of Why Does The Sun Shine?, Istanbul (Not Constantinople) and Boss Of Me. So I was very disappointed that the end of the set was filled with unknown songs plus The End Of The Tour, which at the time I thought was a waste of space although in retrospect I quite liked it. And then John waved his guitar at us and let everyone hit the strings before the band said farewell after two mediocre encores extending far beyond the curfew. So it was with feelings of disappointment that I left the venue. I knew that the very best songs had been played but the poor crowd and several omissions were very much on my mind. But The Guitar, Doctor Worm and, of course, Birdhouse In Your Soul, were all awesome gig moments particularly once I got back and really started listening to Dial-A-Song again. I suppose in the grand scheme of music this was a good show with numerous interesting talking points, so thumbs up!
Mark: 8.0/10
They Might Be Giants
Support
Corn Mo
Where
Manchester Hop And Grape
When
5th September 2004
Price
£13.50
Who with
No-one
Position
In the middle
Comments
After resisting Brian Wilson plus a few borderline shows due to spending considerations, the chance to see They Might Be Giants, almost certainly the main "new" band I'd got into at the time, couldn't be missed! Although I was lent Factory Showroom plus a few others tunes, including the glorious Why Does The Sun Shine?, a full four years previously by musical prodigy Tom of Wheaton Aston, it took three years before I really started listening to them. Then I went out and got greatest hits compilation Dial-A-Song and, from the first time I heard Birdhouse In Your Soul, I knew I'd discovered the most exciting, glorious new song I'd heard for a few good years. The rest of their stuff I'm still not sure about: brilliant or just quite good, I've yet to decide! Several years on and I still don't know. I arrived quite late to discover a rather large queue outside and that the show had been relegated to the top floor of the students union. But TMBG filled the place up so I went straight into the crowd anxious to secure a decent position. Sadly though I found myself next to the oldest, most boring people in the venue: a couple who refused to even clap, looking around distastefully at anyone having fun. They took until the encore to finally vanish and take their unpleasant smell with them! The crowd seemed to be only 80% male which isn't as bad as I expected and there were a few older people there but hardly the physics crowd the NME would have us think were attending.
