Well, following the superb Newport Centre Stuffies/Aunts double-header a couple of weeks ago, hopes were high of a repeat performance from both bands, and for a wondrous spectacle once again. So, off we did trot in a 2-car posse, arriving early, but then having to contend with the jobsworths the Rivermead Centre employed as security. Not only did they refuse me going back to try to catch up with The Gigolo Aunts (fair enough, I guess), but they wouldn't even take a message back. Wankers!
Luckily, we bumped into Aunts guitar man Phil Hurley, wandering through the venue before their performance, and agreed to meet up and say "hey" after their show. So Clive and I popped down the front for their set, starting a moshpit as new number "Lemon Peeler" and its' forceful riffery ignited the crowd, and sing-along single "Mrs. Washington" really took the Centre by storm. A superb reception for the boys (a great reception for a support band!) who really lived up to it again, delivering a superb performance of their effervescent, timeless harmonic guitar rock, belted out with style and no little amount of humour. "Walk Among Us" for me was the highlight of another brilliant set!
So we then met up with the Aunts boys by backstage for mutual compliments and chat; even then, however, the security fascists wouldn't let us backstage, despite being invited by the Aunts themselves! Bah! Nevertheless, great to see and hang out with The Aunts again; I really hope their current single "Mrs. Washington" charts, as they totally deserve it!
By contrast, and also in comparison with their excellent Newport set, The Wonder Stuff seemed to be having an off-night, and seemed as if they were going through the motions a little. Admittedly I missed chunks of their set to tend to a bad back (again, having to throw toys out of the pram to even get a chair. This place sucks), but what I heard was muddy and lacklustre, only catching alight with the excellent "Red Berry Joy Town" encore. Still, it's been a long tour, and they're entitled to an off night.
A quick bump into Phil again for autographs and compliments, before we left. A word to the Rivermead Security; Fuck off and die. I'm NOT going back there. A word to The Gigolo Aunts; God bless you, boys!
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