A
swift return to the Bristol O2 Academy for me and Logan, but something
completely different to Thursday’s night’s jam-packed “grunting rock pig” Biffy
show… Heaven 17’s quite stupendous “live” renditions of The Human League’s seminal
first 2 albums at the Roundhouse in September (gig 1,189) may have put them in
serious contention for Top Gig of 2021 for me, but I still needed a bit of
persuasion for this one. I’d drifted away from Heaven 17 after their fine debut
“Penthouse And Pavement” album and before their catchy yet anodyne string of
80’s synth-pop chart bothering singles. So something extra was needed to twist
my arm, which arrived in the ample shape of support Pete Wylie, a post-punk
teen hero of mine, and the brilliant Wah!conteur and host of gig 1,141 in
Birmingham a couple of years ago. I eagerly snapped up tix, and because this
was a weekend, I ran a couple of tracks past Logan, advising him this would be
somewhat different from his usual rock and folk/punk gigs. Surprisingly, he was
still up for it!
So
a boys day out was planned; firstly the new Marvel film “The Eternals” on the
IMAX, then a drive down to Bristol early, parking up just after 6 and joining a
small queue outside before 6.30 doors, grabbing a bit of barrier house right
(for a change here!) and chatting with fellow punters to while away the time.
Waaay fewer out tonight; balcony closed off, and only a smattering of weekend
couples present to welcome Wylie onstage at 7.30. Black camo-clad with a “Wah!
Humbug!” hoody, and accompanied by a back-up guy playing backing tracks from a
laptop (all recorded by Wylie, apart from female backing vocals provided by his
daughter Mersey), he immediately strapped on his guitar and burst into epic,
soaring opener “Come Back”, which sounded as brilliantly widescreen as if a
whole band – nay, a whole orchestra – was playing it. Easily the best
thing I heard all night, with Wylie pointing directly at me to sing the “it’s
all up to you!” line, while I lustily joined in, not hurting either! Thereafter
he was into a lengthy anti-tory and anti-Thatcher diatribe, comparing Bristol
to Liverpool “before the wankers got in!” and dismissing tories with his motto,
“give a shit or be a shit!” A marvellous “Sinful” (“this describes most of the
politicians today!”) followed, impassioned and with bags of conviction, before
another speech, this time thanking the NHS for saving his life after he broke
his back in the 90’s, urging us to protect it and dedicating a heartfelt “Heart
As Big As Liverpool” to this precious institution. It wasn’t all political
sloganeering, however; Wylie wisecracking, “for Heaven 17 fans, this is a
guitar!” and announcing, “I’m the best guitarist at this gig!” before another
impassioned “Story Of The Blues” saw him run over time, but not before sneaking
in a stripped back and quite poignant “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A
Memory”. A 40 minute vignette which seemed like 10, this was superb stuff from
a National Treasure; the man should have a blue plaque on his back, or at least
a National Trust preservation order!
A
still mediocre turnout (I reckon about 1/3 full tonight!) were present to
welcome Heaven 17 on prompt at 8.30 to the siren strains of “Introducing”,
Glenn Gregory on last and immediately, and commendably, playing to the folks
here rather than those not, all expansive gestures and outstretched arms for
metronomic opener “Height Of The Fighting”. The clattering rhythm of a splendid
“Fascist Groove Thang” followed, Gregory telling how Heaven 17 founder Martyn
Ware had asked him to join his band on Monday, and they’d finished and recorded
this number by Friday!
Gregory
was once again a consummate performer, striding the stage with imperious
command, telling stories and bantering with the crowd and Ware with measured
ease and bonhomie, and lending his rich, stately baritone to the material.
“Live”, even tracks I had anticipated with little relish were given an extra
dimension with the splendid synth work and Gregory’s performance, the likes of
“Come Live With Me” plaintive and yearning, and an earlier “Play To Win”
pulsing and buoyant. A mid-set “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” duet with Ware
was again stark and stunning, but the subsequent “Let’s All Make A Bomb”, fun,
flippant and the one track in Heaven 17’s canon which stands comparison with
those first 2 Human League albums, was our highlight, Logan recording this
number for posterity. The robotic Kraftwerk rhythms of “I’m Your Money” was
dedicated to H17 uber-fan Sumo (who’d apparently seen them over 200 times!
Yowsers!), before a smoothly seductive and funky “Penthouse And Pavement” featured
excellent backing vocals from the 2 girls. Then, their “franchise number” and
biggest hit, “Temptation”, got the crowd singing along (if hardly raising the
roof as per Gregory’s demands) with a stretched and absorbing version to finish
a well-performed set, an authentic cover of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and a final
run-through of The Human League’s jagged proto synth-punk classic “Being
Boiled” acting as encore bookends to the gig.
A
set-list from a friendly roadie and a swift drive home for kebabs and Mexican
Grand Prix qualifying on TV capped another fun gig night with my gig buddy.
Overall, better than I’d expected from Heaven 17, with Gregory’s performance in
particular serving to elevate their later material considerably. But Wylie, the
“Come Back” kid, won the night for me tonight…
No comments:
Post a Comment