Not just a “yup” for me, either, as Stuart and Matt both fancied it too, Matt breaking off a works event in Farnborough to pop across for the gig. He came to ours, then we picked Stu up for the usual trip down to Brizzle, diverting to Nelson Street car park as Rupert Street’s entry scanners were playing up, so getting in to the recently rebadged SWX upstairs room just before 7. Rialto were scheduled for an unusually early 7.15, so we quickly got spots a couple of rows back, house right, as Louis led the boys onstage. Opening with a couple of deep cuts from their splendid eponymous 1998 debut in the languid, Beatles-psych harmonies of “Dream Another Dream” and a more upbeat yet plaintive “Hard Candy”, they were then quickly in their stride, Louis announcing, “if anyone knows us, you know this one..” by way of introduction for a stately, sweeping and chorally skyscraping early “Untouchable”. Great start!
Plucking
equally from that debut and this year’s newie, this was again a stylish, urbane
and effortlessly cool set from one of the more left-field yet worthwhile comeback
kings of late. A beautiful “Summer’s Over” evoked hazy Summer twilights; “Put
You On Hold”, my favourite new one, was a Pulp-esque sweeping yet moody piece;
and the dramatic storytelling of “Monday Morning 5.19” was tonight’s overall
highlight. “I hate audience participation!” Louis announced, tongue in cheek,
before calling for a “la la la” backing singalong to the kitsch, Kylie-esque closer
“No-One Leaves This Discotheque Alive”, rounding off another elegant set,
delivered with style and class from an increasing “live” staple for me… 3rd
time this year!
Bassist Julian handed me his list; then I popped for a loo break and grabbed a quick chat with Julian and his singer on the merch stand, before squeezing back to my suddenly busy front spot. Sleeper duly came on prompt at 9.30, vocalist Louise taking the stage last, then plunging into the breathy and energetic circular riff of bouncy indiepop opener “Bedhead”. Sadly for me the subsequent numbers didn’t keep that momentum, despite Louise’s kinetic and effervescent presence, and even my favourite “Delicious” (introduced by Lou as, “for the women in the room – it’s always been your song!”) felt a little flat following that irresistible opening riff. This gig, so far as I was concerned, needed a bit of a jolt…
Happily,
one arrived, with “Pyrotechnician” a fine slab of fizzy, gnarly indie, with Lou’s
slower introductory vocal building anticipation, kicking off the set proper for
me. “What Do I Do Now”, shortly thereafter, was a rousing singalong and the
best-received of the set thus far; the excellent “Lie Detector” railed against
female stereotyping; and a darker, brooding divorce revenge song, “More Than I
Do” was the best of the variable post-reunion material by some distance. And
throughout Louise was a consummate performer, knowing her audience and engaging
and involving them, far from her snarky and slightly haughty 90’s persona.
The undulating disco pulse of Blondie’s “Atomic”, again with the “Love Will Tear Us Apart” mid-number singalong, was splendid; then a stripped back late-night torch song version of “Vegas” precipitated a 3-song encore including lively singalongs for the Britpop anthems “Inbetweener” and “Sale Of The Century”. A ridiculously easy Sleeper list, then I ran into Gloucester friend Simon and wife Sarah, before a quick dash home for Matt to get back to his work event. Logan and his mate Ethan were still working on Logan’s bike, so chatted before turning in. Good stuff from Sleeper, better than I’d feared after a couple of ponderous openers, and they stacked up better against Rialto than that 1998 Oasis gig! One to catch at “Shiiine On” this year, then… Overall, although Rialto shaded it for me, this was a fun night out and a fine indie-Britpop double bill!
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