1,395 MIDWAY STILL, The Charlemagnes, Oxford Bullingdon Arms (Front Room), Tuesday 15th July 2025

 

Well, this is becoming a bit of a habit… and a most welcome one as well, I might add… A mere 370 days and 60 gigs (for me) after the last time (gig 1,335, last July), and for the 4^th time in 5 years and 16^th time overall, 90’s “live” favourites Midway Still make another “slight return” to my Dance Card, with yet another tongue in cheek “World Tour”, this time taking in an Oxford gig as the nearest date to the ‘don. Given that I was actually there the last time they played the “city of dreaming spires”, at Jericho Tavern waaay back in April 1992 (gig 208, where, it should be noted, they drew more people for that gig than Pulp did at the same venue a month later!), I was well up for yet another dose of their noisy, ramshackle yet eminently tune-laden brand of 90’s post-grungy US-influenced Husker/Dino/Lemon/Tom-esque indie rock.

Happily, after a break of a year due to a clashing holiday, Tim was on board as well, so we headed off through ominous drizzle, parking up easily in the old Tesco car park, and heading across the road to the venue. First thing to note was that we entered through the storefront into the front bar, as the gig was in this smaller room rather than the more spacious (yet still not particularly large) usual back-room venue. Second thing was that no-one seemed to have an interest in serving us at the bar, so sod it, we went dry! Paul, Russell and Dec, collectively AKA the Fine Gentlemen of The Still, joined us shortly after for warm greetings and brief words with both us and a number of the early comers, before openers The Charlemagnes kicked off dead on 8 pm. Featuring Ben Harding of 90’s indie hopefuls The Senseless Things, this lot eschewed the taut hyper-brisk colourful indie pop of his former charges in favour of some more 70’s CBGB’s bluesy sleazoid proto-punk noise, with occasional Dinosaur Jr-esque laze rock riffery (esp. during a later “Not Everyone”). “Legitimate Concerns” was a bit of an outlier, featuring some tuneful choral harmonies, and I liked their closing version of Leatherface’s overlooked Geordie rocker anthem “Not Superstitious”, but my favourite part of the set was the burly bassist staring through the open door to the Tesco opposite and commenting, “it’s really weird [playing while watching] people doing their shopping!”

I’d missed a chunk of the Charlemagnes’ set as my tummy unexpectedly started playing up but nonetheless took a spot down the front for the Still, ready to rock out as best as my 6-decades old self would allow. Kill or cure, then… The boys took the stage to the minimum of fuss, Paul confessing, “this is like some weird family reunion – I know everyone in the audience by name!” That being so, said familiarity bred a nonchalant, relaxed vibe; nothing to prove to anyone here, The Still ploughed into this opening night set with their usual hard rocking ease, opener “Claret” featuring some particular speedy drum rolls from animated drummer Dec. Paul complained of some guitar mix issues during “Note To Self” (“it’s like playing in your living room…”) but honestly, even from my front row vantage point, the mix sounded clear throughout. 

The merch man joined me in rocking down the front to his favourite, the rarely played “Apple”, and “Me In You” was an incendiary fire-breather as The Still really warmed to their task. In good fooling too, particularly Paul, for which every song was a “no thought required” or “needs some thought”, and the transition from the hardcore punkish “Fuck You” to the slower “tricky ballad” of “Drag To Care” was, “going from stupid to a bit more stupid!” “What You Said” was a powerful, Huster Du-esque mid-set highlight, followed by a mad story about Dec believing Martha and the Muffins won Eurovision! Inevitably, the joyous singalong of a brilliant “Better Than Before” (“our smash hit song from 1992!”) was a closing set highlight, although the boys remained onstage for the “encore”, Paul thanking all and sundry for coming, then me for, “dancing like a lunatic in front of us!” You’re welcome, bub! A blistering rampage through MBV’s “You Made Me Realise” segueing in with an equally breathless and hurtling “Come Down” then rounded off this remarkably swift-feeling hour-long, superbly well-rocking yet remarkably tight, intuitive and together (especially for opening night!) set from this veteran power trio.

Luckily no-one grabbed Paul’s list midway through the last number this time, so I scooped it up, along with a CD of last year’s Birmingham gig recording, before we had a quick catch-up on recent events with Paul, then bade fond farewells to the Still lads, pausing for Tesco eats to settle my tum (although my dancing to the Still was more “cure”, I’m glad to report…) then heading off home. Given that tonight’s turnout could best be described as a compact and bijou gathering of the devoted, I’m not sure how sustainable this yearly jaunt is going to be, but let’s face it… if Midway Still keep coming back, then so will we!