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| The early view from our seats |
By the time Lightning Seeds graced the stage, a small crowd had gathered, filling half the downstairs area. The band's sound was a bit echoey at first, but got better as the set progressed and more people arrived. Ian Broudie's voice isn't as strong as it used to be, and I noted him making musical choices when it came to setting the pitch. The band were nevertheless entertaining, and their set was packed with hits. A terrific support act.
My wife remarked that she had an empty seat beside her. I joked that it would be funny if it was filled by the same man who had irritated her so much at Kevin Bridges. She gave me an evil stare, but my prediction didn't come to pass. The chap who appeared had been with his girlfriend elsewhere on the balcony. Unfortunately, they hadn't been seated together. The drinkers arrived, too, filling the spaces in the front row. They were 'happy' people, toasting each other and having a laugh. One brought four pints with him in a cardboard carrier. He did share one of them.
Paul and his band took the stage a little before 9 pm, catching out a few who had disappeared to the loo in the interval; fortunately, none in our row. We were blessed with people with infinite bladders and no desire to refill them, so we had an undisturbed gig. Apart from the guy sitting beside me, who must have had elephant-sized testicles, given how wide he kept his knees apart, beyond the confines of his seat, while holding his pint glass in his crotch like an erection. Fortunately, he never got so excited that he spilt any.
I have to say I am not a huge Paul Heaton fan. This gig was more for my wife than myself, but I do admire his songcraft and appreciate his hits. He is a modern poet, with a talent for identifying the mundane and elevating it into art. He looks like the kind of man whom you would find in the pub, having a laugh with his mates, not realising the talent behind those eyes.
The gig wasn't without its flaws. Paul had done his back in, so he was a lot less mobile than I'd expect; though, against doctor's orders, he did attempt the Happy Hour dance (then, a couple of songs later, nipped backstage to get his back sprayed by a roadie). He uses a monitor for his lyrics, so he needs to wear his glasses to read them. That also means he sings on one spot, rarely venturing far, his eyes constantly glancing down. I can accept this, though, because his songs are lyrically dense, beautiful and plentiful. He gave us twenty-six songs over the nearly two-hour-long set.
Rianne Downey's voice is strong, but I find her a bit nasal. She's young, but her voice lacks the maturity of Paul's previous singing partner, Jacqui Abbott. Rianne does provide a bit of glamour to the stage in her sparkly green outfit and cape, compared to Paul's dull parka jacket.
The explosion of yellow streamers during You Keep It All In took me by surprise, given the tight budget, with only a couple of smoke machines and some fancy lighting to enhance the show. The big screens were used well to show the performances and even display the lyrics for the final encore singalongs.
It was a good night and great value. As Paul said, other bands would have stopped after a few songs if you compare ticket prices.
A gig not without flaws but still good fun.
Videos
Don't Marry Her
Ticket Price: OVO Customer Presale Ticket (enter via OVO door): £39.50 x 2 & Service Fee: £6.60 x 2 &Venue Facility Fee: £3.25 x 2 = Total £98.70 from Ticketmaster.
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