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I had hoped that someone else would provide a review of this show but I write this piece mainly to empathise with Trina Heath (Top woman) on her experience at Coventry.
Derby is a two and a half hour drive for me, which is longer than I could reasonably expect to drive home from at midnight. As I'm now a family man, this expedition needed some critical planning. This involved taking my son to the Derby v. Chelsea game that afternoon and allowing Polly, my wife, unfettered access to the joint credit card in the Derby shopping centre.
So far so good. I got my first bad feeling when I arrived at the Guildhall and it was a bit like the Lord Mayors Mansion, you know flock wallpaper and domed ceilings. This initial instinct was enhanced when, just as I had ordered my first lager the overzealous house manager announced Ian McNabb would be on stage in two minutes. He then proceeded to all but snatch the lager out of my hand and insist that I come into the auditorium as I wouldn't be allowed in once the act was on stage. Ooh err..
McNabb appeared on stage alone at 8.20 and launched into "Fire Inside My Soul". The audience response was a bit quiet. I had one of those out of body experiences where it seemed like I was the only one singing along. This was the first gig I had sat down for since the Hammersmith Odeon in 1998 (we didn't stay sat down for long) and it didn't feel right. Just like the report from Coventry the room lacked any sort of atmosphere it was almost reverential.
The one good thing about the Derby Guildhall was the presence of a grand piano on stage which Mr. McNabb would soon put to good use. On it, Ian played a new song called (I think) "Hollywood Kisses"? Then "If you believe What Love Can Do"
I wasn't making notes and it was a long time ago but he played these songs in no particular order.
I remember that "WIACD" closed the first half, the audience had warmed up a little, and I had found a soulmate in the row behind and we were whooping and singing, sadly still pretty much on our own.
Ten minutes and a few beers later Ian was back joined now by Roy and Mokka. He asked the audience if they were okay, but you sensed they weren't. The second set was sheer brilliance. My personal highlight was the playing at the piano of "Still got the Fever", played very much like the 93 promo version. In my opinion one of the great man's finest pennings, denied being a massive hit only by the incompetence of the arseholes in the music industry. Their loss!
The rest of the set included these (amongst others):
"Understanding Jane" ended the second set the audience had been whipped into life by a man who was having none of it. He had worked his rocks off demanding that we all sing along. He had been off the stage into the front row passing the vocals along. He thanked us all for coming out tonight and clapping and singing in the right places.
It was really strange because everyone was still seated! We chanted for more and stamped our feet and Ian duly obliged not once but twice. He beckoned some of us to come down to the front but it was impossible to get down there.
The night ended with the audience in full voice for Stone my Soul and we went home happy. I just wasn't happy with this sitting down malarkey and when I read Trina's report of the next night at Birmingham I was jealous.
I'm off to Beverley on Thursday and if anyone reads this can they join me in a bit of people power and get down the front and make the bloke from Liverpool welcome. I know he'll appreciate it!
PS. If anyone has got the complete setlist, send it to Carl and he can do this thing properly. [See below.]
Gerard Armstrong
22 January 1999
Received 22 January. Posted 26 January.
This review Copyright © 1999, Gerard Armstrong. All rights
reserved. Reproduced with permission.
The right of Gerard Armstrong to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988.
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