The band-crowd relationship blossomed eventually, the boys brought the crowd home with songs new and old and some stinging solo work. It was unclear why there was a kind of distance between crowd and band for the first few songs, and which side it came from. I could understand the audience’s reluctance to boogie if they’d heard what happened when Buena Vista Social Club played a few weeks ago: farcically, fans were bundled out for dancing, something the New Theatre really needs to address.
On this occasion people did stand up and dance, and good on ‘em. The old favourites were well polished but still fresh, and Mike Scott’s voice exists unchanged, still full of the vulnerability, determination and honesty of any of the early albums. Highlights include Fisherman’s Blues for the simple delight of all involved, The Pan Within for the ambition and success of the solo work, Medicine Bow – just a great rock song, and The Whole Of The Moon, because I haven’t heard it for decades.
A varied evening of fast, slow, upbeat, downbeat, rock, folk, funk, love, loss, solo, jam, pub band, stadium rockers, shout, whisper, character, and oodles of support from the crowd. Nice one, Oxford.
On this occasion people did stand up and dance, and good on ‘em. The old favourites were well polished but still fresh, and Mike Scott’s voice exists unchanged, still full of the vulnerability, determination and honesty of any of the early albums. Highlights include Fisherman’s Blues for the simple delight of all involved, The Pan Within for the ambition and success of the solo work, Medicine Bow – just a great rock song, and The Whole Of The Moon, because I haven’t heard it for decades.
A varied evening of fast, slow, upbeat, downbeat, rock, folk, funk, love, loss, solo, jam, pub band, stadium rockers, shout, whisper, character, and oodles of support from the crowd. Nice one, Oxford.