Gut Reactions (post-gig memories and other trips): Woody Woodmansey

We booked the tickets for this show while waiting for the matinee performance of The Silence of the Lambs to begin, after receiving an email from ShowFilmFirst. A gig for under six quid? My wife loves Bowie, so this was a no-brainer.

Of course, at the back of my mind, I kept thinking this gig might end up sounding like top-level karaoke. No one sings like David Bowie. The Wet Wet Wet situation post Marti's departure came to mind. Would Glenn's vocals be worthy?

The end of the queue is visible on the right

We arrived shortly after the doors opened and found a minimal queue, which was just as well given it was raining. Within minutes, we were inside. The stage barrier had already been claimed by eager fans, but we could have stood behind them if we so wished. Instead, we chose to stand at the upper bar level at the corner railing next to the accessibility seats. Great view, easy to make an exit. There was no support act, and we didn't know when the show would start, so we waited and chatted. The audience was predominantly older, as you'd expect. Latecomers appeared unhappy about joining the standing crowd in the stalls area and kept hoping to find a space next to us, but that wasn't happening.

The front seating area was blocked off and reserved for the guest list only. I think this surprised a few punters who arrived early expecting to snag those seats. A few of them chose to lean against the railings in front of that section.

At 8.30 pm, the band took the stage, opening with Five Years. There were eight musicians on stage, nine if you include the one on bongos and tambourine behind the speakers, so it was pretty crowded up there. Glenn Gregory looked debonair in his blue suit and waistcoat, bald and bearded. He recounted the story of Tony Visconti commenting that his voice was reminiscent of Bowie, long before he got the gig. He paid homage to both Woody and Tony, whom he regards as Legends. At the time, I wondered if this was an attempt at deflection if it all went wrong ("This was their idea, don't blame me"), but that definitely wasn't the case.

Initially, the band sounded rough, perhaps under-rehearsed. The sound mix needed tweaking several times, boosting the guitars and Glenn's voice. It was the first date of the tour, so forgivable. I couldn't get the karaoke vibe out of my head. After they played Ziggy Stardust, with the appreciative audience behind them, those thoughts faded, and I engaged more with the music.

It wasn't a perfect evening. They played a few lesser-known Bowie songs and left out some classics (no Heroes, for example). They did play for two hours, though, so definitely good value, especially since I only paid under six quid for the pleasure of their company.

At the end, Tony and Woody gave speeches praising David. Woody talked about the good old days at the Green's Playhouse and about not being able to understand the locals' accents, unable to distinguish between threatening language and praise.

It was an interesting evening, but I wouldn't have paid full whack. It was fun, best viewed as a celebration of Bowie's songs, and better than staying in to watch Taskmaster, but we listened to some proper Bowie on the drive home. Nothing compares to the real thing.