Quality control for 1995's gigs thus far is very high indeed! Off to the Anson Rooms tonight in Ady's motor, driving down with a non-functioning speedo so we had no idea how fast we were going!
Got there just as support Cold Water Flat took the stage. Featuring Paul Janovitz on vocals (who must be a relation of Bill, considering how much they sounded like Bill's band Buffalo Tom! Ah yes, I later found out he's Bill's younger brother), they played a good set of Tom-like power rock ballads and occasional three-chord trippery, leaving a most favourable impression.
Decanted to the bar thereafter, but we didn't have long to wait for Belly, who were on at 9.15, and straight into "Faith Healer", one of the faster numbers from their harder rocking sophomore LP "King". That they were able to align this harder edge to their previous pure pop fantasy fables and put it across in the "live" environment is thanks in no small part to "Rock Bitch" bassist Gail Greenwood. I've often been critical of her presence in this band in the past, considering her a jarring presence, but tonight she gave the set the extra dynamism the more recent material in particular required.
Oh, and Belly main-woman Tanya Donelly was pretty good too! After a watching brief during the early numbers, I joined the moshpit midway through the set, and gave it loads, shirtless, to a powerful rocking set climaxing in a terrific, amphetamine rush encore "Slow Dog". I bumped into a similar dishevelled Ady down the front after that!
Oh, and thanks to the local knowledge of Peej, another of tonight's gig buddies, we found a "pub grub" takeaway afterwards and had roast dinners - at 11pm!
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