My first gig of '98, the venue a packed Manchester Roadhouse. This had better be good.
Idlewild were first on. And were they wild???
Erm no. They certainly had fun and jumped about a lot, but songs were slightly lacking, even well received new single Captain failed to do it for me. The singer although good whilst singing seemed a little afraid of the crowd and was reluctant to talk between songs which was a shame. A bit of a disappointment really, as I was expecting quite good punk noise.
Glitterbox are beginning to find their feet, with 'I wanna be your friend' and new single 'Scared of the World' perfect examples of their adrenalin filled angst ridden view of the world (no don't think grunge, with lyrics like...
"Beaten by a little kid, yeah, ah-ha, OK, alright
Beaten by a grandmother and two black guys and you were right
She's stronger than she looks you know
I know she's only four foot tall"
They owe far more to the Flaming Lips than the mainstream grunge bands). How ace are mad lyrics?
There wasn't much talk between songs compared with the last time I saw them, although the music was free to talk for itself this time. They still need more quality songs if they want to make it big, but The Yawning Song and Houdini along with the 2 mentioned above show that it is possible. The Americans would probably love them as well given half a chance.
And then to Midget. 'I'm not sure if I can sing this. I've got a cold, but i'm optimistic...' Midget throw paintball songs around stage with no regard for public safety. Jellybean explodes into life and we can only stand in wonder. The entire set doesn't totally hold up this well, an extra guitarist to hold the rhythm while Richard goes into his melodic leads would be nice, but that's a minor complaint. Silly Little Rich Cow is another glitterbomb, with sharp edges and beautiful hooks. They run off at the end, stop for all of half a second, before racing back on for the encore - Daydream Believer. I almost believed I'd died and gone to Heaven.
The eternal question though. Are any of these bands going to be huge. Well Glitterbox could be, in the States, if they're marketed right. Midget should be, and if they get more songs with the instant appeal of Jellybean, they might be able to do a Symposium. And Idlewild. Are apparently the critic's hot tip for '98. Is there NO justice?
Most Rocking Graffiti in the Roadhouse toilets...
Lonely Jedi seeks passage to Alderon, must have own light sabre and be prepared to use the force