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Oh, I'm so, SO glad I went to this show!
I wasn't going to. In fact, The Wonder Stuff have come to Newcastle a couple of times in recent years and I don't know why, but I never went along. And their most recent visit to my fair city very nearly went the same way -- it was a Sunday night... they weren't even headlining... I felt slightly over hung from the previous nights' festivities... a million reasons why I was going to stay home.
But then! Someone I know said she was going, and that I could hook up with her and her friends once I got there, and so yesterday afternoon I decided to buy a ticket at the last minute and go. (Thanks Julie & girls whose names I completely forget! You're fab!)
It was a brilliant show -- I broke with tradition and stood right at the front and had plenty of room to dance and jump (oh, my achin' bones though, today!) I don't mind telling you that I had an absolute blast. It wasn't 2011, it was 1993! They played all of my favourites - A Wish Away, Give Give Give Me More More More, Red Berry Joy Town and a lovely acoustic version of Welcome to the Cheap Seats. You may or may not know that the album version of that song features the inimitable Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals -- here is a little bit of video from last night of Miles Hunt telling us how she came to make the record with them:
The whole place was bouncing. For me, the best bit was the collective admiration and all around good time we were all having was effortlessly matched by Miles Hunt; his smile never wavered the whole time he was on stage. The guy has been making a living from playing gigs like that for the best part of probably far too many years than he'd care for me to mention... yet he was loving every minute. And don't even get me started on his dimples.
(swoon)
Seriously, though? He danced, and told stories; his enthusiasm and vivacity was highly infectious and inspired us all sing along with that much more conviction. Would that they have played for another hour!
I drove home with the type of warm fuzzies one can only get from having crossed someone off my "Yet To See Live" list. Hope you enjoy the video - sorry they're so fuzzy and distorted - you can just about make out Size of a Cow in the one above, and here is a little bit of A Wish Away:
Oh, The Levellers? I'm rubbish - I only recongised the first song. Much to the chagrin and outrage of The Levellers Number One Fan the guy standing next to me who chastised me for not knowing every word... I made some feeble excuse about being hung over from the night before, and despite receiving from him a drunken serenade accompanying the band with this song, he staggered off forlorn, but not before accusing me of having a heart of stone for not being moved to tears.
Ah, you win some, you lose some. Sorry, fan boy. My heart belongs to Miles.
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