19 February 2005

Music Feature: Dressed To Sell - Single Packaging In Days Gone By by Richard Cosgrove

Author: Richard Cosgrove

Walk into any record shop these days to pick up the latest single by a band and chances are you'll be presented with the choice of maybe two or three different configurations of songs spread over a series of CDs. If you're lucky you might get a poster included that's been folded so many times in order to fit it into the CD case that the chances of it ever serving it's true purpose are slimmer than getting a word in edgeways with David Lee Roth. If you're really lucky, maybe you'll get a couple of miniature postcards, a Lilliputian calendar or some faux-Polaroids tucked into the jewel case.

Very occasionally you'll get a vinyl release to accompany the CD(s), but usually only in the case of up and coming indie bands that no-one has heard of yet, and quite probably never will (but for those few that do, the early fans can forever smugly ask "do you have the seven inch vinyl of so-and-so? No? Shame, I've got ten copies myself"). Even then the packaging will undoubtedly be plain and uninspiring, or in the case of dance music twelve inch vinyl releases, it's standard fare to get a plain white card sleeve with a sticker advertising the artist and track name and very little else. True, it does the job, but there's not the sense of excitement that there once was when a new single was released.

Back in the days before CDs (inconceivable to some of you, no doubt) there was much more creativity and imagination involved in the release of a new single, particularly in the rock music arena which I grew up in, where almost literally anything was possible. The advent of a new single wasn't just about what it would sound like, it was also about what it would look like, or what it would come packaged in.

There were, of course, your fairly standard seven and twelve inch picture bags, the next step up from which was the gatefold sleeve. Poison's Nothin' But A Good Time came in a particularly eye-catching lime green gatefold sleeve adorned with day-glo pictures of the chicks-with-dicks themselves. Great song, garish cover, but this was the realm of the hair band and gimmicks like this did sell additional copies of the singles. I regularly bought all of the limited editions of many a rock band, not with thoughts that they may one day become valuable and provide me with a nice little nest egg (a good job too, as it turns out), but for the sheer joy of having all these unusual releases.

Poster bags were another popular format, not only enticing us to buy additional copies of the single, but also giving us the means to plaster our walls with spandex-clad long-haired mascara-wearing men. Nice.

Picture discs offered a wide range of possibilities, and the marketing departments didn't disappoint. There were of course just the bog standard picture discs in seven or twelve inch format (or both occasionally) that would replicate the regular edition's artwork, some of which were particularly effective, like Iron Maiden's awesome artwork for Aces High, which gave you the opportunity to have twelve inches of Maiden mascot Eddie's face revolving forty five times a minute on your record player.

The Dog's D'Amour went one step further than this, combining the best of both worlds by having a gatefold sleeve into which the twelve inch pictures discs for their Satellite Kid and Trail Of Tears singles could be slotted. What made this stand out, however, was that each of the singles had a Tyla-drawn cartoon which when placed correctly into the gatefold sleeve enabled you to read the whole story.

One of the more interesting examples of the shaped picture disc was WASP's PMRC-baiting Animal (Fuck Like A Beast) which was cut into the shape of the bloodied buzz-saw codpiece modelled by Blackie Lawless on the cover of
the regular twelve inch. Guns'N'Roses had one of the best for my money, though. Their Paradise City release came as an eleven inch disc in the shape of a gun, complete with its' own holster shaped sleeve. A gold star to the bright spark who thought that one up.

Coloured vinyl was an occasional temptation, usually in some garish shade of green or pink (I'm looking at you again, Poison), although Bon Jovi managed to come across all patriotic for their Lay Your Hands On Me release which was available on no less than three separate seven inch coloured vinyls in red, white and blue. For good measure (and to ensure that my wallet was thoroughly cleaned out) they also released it on a shaped picture disc.

Other one-off novelties of the time included The Cult's Sun King which was housed in a black PVC hologram sleeve, and M's Pop Music which had a double groove meaning that when you dropped your needle onto the vinyl you never knew which of the two songs on it you were going to get, but the award for the most original and outrageous format of all time goes to Bay Area thrashers Vio-lence.

The band, known for their aggressive marketing, came up with the ultimate in offensive packaging, even managing to get the format banned from some record shops, when they decided to release their Eternal Nightmare single in a special 'vomit pack'. This was a clear plastic sleeve filled with vomit (actually vegetable soup and vinegar, but it still gave off enough of a vile aroma to induce the genuine article if you got too close, especially on hot days) into which the single could be inserted. Sadly for the band it did little to raise their profile, but it did guarantee them a place in the history of music marketing.

Sadly the days of interesting formats seem to have gone the way of 8-tracks, cassette singles and Michael Jackson's career, but consider this. With record companies having finally embraced the download market for singles, we may in a few years be mourning the loss of even the bland CD single format.

16 February 2005

Band Feature: Muse

Author: Peter Muscutt

Muse
'The Day I Sold Chris Wolstenholme Olive Oil' - Tales of Muse from the town of Teignmouth

People are often confused when I tell them I come from Teignmouth. 'Where's that?' they ask, a puzzled expression on their faces. 'It's in Devon' I reply. More blank faces. More scratching of heads. The money shot comes with: 'It's where the band Muse come from'. 'Ahh, right, got you!' they'll say. Yeah right, as if you could point it out on a map!

Coming from the same town as a now globally successful rock band affords the occasional tale about the less glamorous side of rock n' roll. The most visible member of the band in the Teignmouth area is bass player Chris Wolstenholme, who, unlike a number of famous people, obviously hasn't forgotten his roots back home, and can be seen wandering about town or in the supermarket when the group are not away recording or touring. In fact, when I used to live there, he was often seen inside the local Co-op, where I had my first meeting with him after he asked me (very politely I must add) where the olive oil was, then I had the privilege of serving him as well! That must have been around 1998/99, just as the band were starting to get noticed, and it was a major talking point the next day at college, I can tell you - especially interested was a guy called Andrew, who was the 'Official Muse Spokesman' at college, and could often be seen spouting the virtues of the band's debut EP, which he would play CONSTANTLY during our A-Level Art classes. It was quite funny to look back and realise that Andrew was actually the one with his finger on the pulse at that time, claiming Muse would be 'The Next Big Thing'. The only thing was, nobody believed him! To our shame, we all had Muse down as one of those groups that would do well, but certainly not be as big as they were destined to become. They'd maybe release a couple of EPs in local record stores and perhaps play a few decent local venues, but...we just thought they'd die out and eventually pack it in. How embarrassed we were when Andrew proudly came into college clutching a copy of Muse's debut album Showbiz, which soon took precedence over the EP he had been playing to death on the Art room's stereo. It's worth mentioning also that I did go and buy a copy of the band's first EP just to see what all the fuss was about, and recently sold it on auction site eBay for 180 quid, so...thanks to Andrew for that! I kick myself now when I think about the other six copies the record store had in, which would have probably sold for equally ludicrous sums of currency!

There are rumours of lead singer Matt Bellamy popping back to get another custom-made guitar picked up from Manson's Guitars in Exeter, but he seems to be very elusive - the only possible sighting we've had of young Matthew was by my mate Simon, who thinks he saw him get out of a car in Newton Abbot and go into Argos wearing some very scruffy clothes. He was in two minds about this though. If you're in Exeter it might be worth popping into Manson's and persuading the owner to let you have a look at his latest project! The last axe I saw in the workshop was a guitar (sorry, I'm crap with guitar models, as I am with most car models) with a cracked mirror effect, which worked most wonderfully on stage when the lights would catch it and reflect back into the audience.

But it's certainly Chris that we see back in Teignmouth most often (of drummer Dominic Howard, there has been no sightings by anyone I know). He's also the one we identified most with during our college days, seeing as myself and 'Official Muse Spokesman' Andrew were in the same class as his sister.

It was one (very drunken) New Year's Eve in a Teignmouth pub called The Devon Arms when his sister, who was working behind the bar at the time, received a call to say Chris' wife/partner had given birth to their baby, and we were all trying to listen into the call, shouting things like 'what have they named it?' - always trying to get some Muse related trivia!!

My last encounter with Mr Wolstenholme was at Tescos' this Christmas - it was a couple of days before Christmas Eve, and he was buying a very large quantity of Quality Street. In fact, he had about six boxes of the stuff in his basket. It was absolutely heaving in the store, and I was tempted to ask him if it was as busy as the band's recent London Earls Court gig they'd played only a few days previously! I'm never sure if he sort of recognises me when I see him around town - this time he kind of nodded to me as I looked over at him, and it always makes me wonder if Simon, my friend and old band-mate (when we were in a group called The Freak Travel City Kids, who, it must be said, did not really repeat Muse's run of good fortune and commercial success and fragmented around about mid-2003) managed to ever get Chris to have a look at our band's website. The story behind that particular tale was that Simon's cousin's half-sister's dog's best mate (who is really more a friend of a friend) knew Chris and his family, and Simon reckoned he could politely ask them if Chris wouldn't mind taking a look at our website, which contained all our lyrics and other various stuff. As I say, I'm not actually sure if he ever did see it, but I'd like to think so! I don't really know what Simon's motive for getting a member of Muse to look at a shoddily put-together website was, I think he was dreaming of an easy passage into the music business, but then again that's like asking the man who works on the turnstiles at Highbury if he can get you in the Arsenal squad! It's a documented fact that Muse didn't really think much of Teignmouth as a place to live, and I guess to be honest, it's not all that great (for the young 'uns, anyhow) but there are certainly worse places to spend your time.

So there you have it - olive oil, shopping for new guitars, drunken discoveries of new born babies with Muse bass players for a father and excessive purchasing of Christmas chocolates. It's not all rock n' roll after all...I guarantee, if you were to probe a bit further the inhabitants of this small coastal town, you'll find some have their own tales of Muse related incidents. For instance, my old hairdresser apparently used to play with Matt Bellamy when they were younger. But not in a dirty way...

Band Feature: Galaxie 500

Author: Al McKenzie

Galaxie 500
Galaxie 500 formed in 1987 at Harvard College, when New Zealand-born Dean Wareham (vocals, guitars) and fellow undergrad Damon Krukowski (splendid drums) hooked up with Naomi Yang (their graphics advisor, then bassist). They named their band after a Ford car, and recorded their first single in early 1988 with Kramer at the production helm. 'Tugboat' demonstrates the band's distinctive sound right from the off. 'I don't wanna stay at your party/ I don't wanna talk to your friends,' wails Wareham, all fuggy petulance coated in layers of reverb; 'I don't wanna vote for your President/ I just wanna be your tugboat captain.' Hardly cutting edge stuff, but a graceful statement of intent nonetheless. The drums cascade as the guitar chimes a Shadowsy riff, while Yang's bass steadies this musical tugboat with its gentle murmur. In fact, if I had to choose an adjective to describe Galaxie 500's sound overall, 'gentle' would be the one I'd go for. I'm sure someone once described it (accurately) as 'shockingly gentle.' Try also 'wistful,' 'peaceful,' 'ethereal...' I'll try not to use any of them in this piece, but I can't promise...

1988's debut album 'Today' enforced the blueprint set down on 'Tugboat,' which also works poignantly as the closing track on the album. The typical Galaxie 500 song can best be defined as follows: high-pitched vocals, (usually Wareham's, sometimes Yang's), deeper backing vocals (Krukowski - often harmonic 60s style 'ums' and 'ahs'), three chords strummed delicately and slowly on electric guitar, drums doing much of the work (light as sea spray and almost jazzy, or pounding) and Naomi Yang never being afraid to play the high notes on her bass as melody rather than rhythm. The Hives it ain't - it sounded beautifully soporific and out of step even by most 1988 indie standards - but there usually comes that nice moment when Dean Wareham cranks up the guitar and splits the whole thing open with some distorted riffs. Most of the songs start as though no-one's told him it's not an acoustic guitar and he's actually got it plugged in, and then, as the song builds to a crescendo of sorts, as if he's suddenly realised it's cranked up to 11 and he's going for gold. There's also a distinct Velvets' feel; compare and contrast the lovely opener, 'Flowers,' with the VU's more melodic, poppy moments (Galaxie 500 later recorded 'White Light/White Heat' song 'Here She Comes Now' as a B-side). Perhaps the most striking song on 'Today' is one that breaks the Galaxie 500 mould, their cover of Jonathan Richman's 'Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste.' The stomping bass drums and the frenzied, fuzzy guitars fuse together insistently with the plaintive vocals to make this an intensely emotional listen: 'I could show you memories to rival Berlin in the 30s...And I could bleed/In sympathy with you.' Brutal, deranged, and very moving stuff, and the first Galaxie 500 track I ever heard, thanks to the great Peel (again). The band were soon winning admirers in the US and Europe, earning ringing endorsements from the likes of Thurston Moore. Meanwhile, across the way, another guitar band from Boston were making bigger waves with their much louder sonic assaults; led by Black Francis, they would become a seminal influence on rawk music while the Galaxies would remain less well known, but that's another story...

1989's follow up album 'On Fire' cemented the style laid down by its predecessor (and crucially, in a lovely orange cover, too). 'Decomposing Trees' is one of the band's key songs, with its 'Stairway to Heaven' like chord change and typically surreal, acid-flashed lyric: 'My toes can talk/And they're smiling at me/ Come down, they say/Not afraid any more.' Musically, the song evinces the same world weariness as Joy Division's 'Decades,' and the Galaxies would later cover that band's 'Ceremony.' Even better, they manage to flesh out their sound on this album; Wareham puts his guitar effects pedals to good use, and 'Trees' features the 'Baker Street'-style fiery sax playing of Ralph Carney. They spoil us with the following track; Naomi Yang takes the lead vocal on 'Another Day', an impossibly sad and beautiful song. Imagine Blur's 'This Is A Low' played by the Jesus and Mary Chain with Yoko Ono on vocals, and you're halfway there. I don't know about you, but I have to like a record which has the lyric 'I bought all the drinks/And I paid for your friends/Jesus can't you see?/I'm goin' round the bend.' ('Tell Me'), while 'When Will You Come Home?' namechecks Kojak. I saw them play live in Newcastle on the tail end of this album, and it was one of the top 3 gigs I've ever been to. For a three-piece, they managed to produce a fuller sound than most, probably because they used reverb better than anyone else to create density. It was as hypnotic an experience witnessing them live as it is listening to them on record.

Sadly, the story ended after 1990's 'This Is Our Music', ironically their sunniest offering yet. 'Fourth of July' was NME single of the week, if I remember rightly, with its half-spoken, half-sung witty lyrics about not belonging and things not going according to plan. How many bands would dare to start a song with the line 'I wrote a poem on a dog biscuit/And your dog refused to look at it?' They obviously love their TV shows and movies: 'Spook' was originally entitled 'Spock', explaining the weird line about having 'another eyelid', while the gorgeous 'Summertime' appears to reference David Lynch's 'Wild At Heart' ('Going to the movies/I found a shelter from the sun/Caught a gruesome story/About a couple on the run.'). They take us full circle by closing the album with the mysterious 'King of Spain', (an earlier version of which was their debut B-side to 'Tugboat,') and then it's all over. Dean still plays with Luna, (who played a song on John McEnroe's US TV chat show just the other week, trivia fans), played guitar on Mercury Rev's 'Car Wash Hair,' and performed a rendition of 'Sweet Child of Mine' at the funeral of his friend Robert W. Bingham, author of 'Pure Slaughter Value.' Damon and Naomi still record as Damon and Naomi. Would it be too much to hope for a reunion? Personally, it's hard to listen to 'Today' and 'On Fire' without reminiscing back to my first term at uni, when their floating, spaced out sounds acted as balm for the soul in many an 'incense' moment. Just the other day, I bought a CD copy of 'On Fire,' and it's the first album I've ever owned on both vinyl and CD simultaneously. Fantastically barmy sleeve notes by Kramer, too. I was going to print them out in full, but I'd rather you got your own copy. I digress...

Although never frequently-name checked, Galaxie 500 have influenced some contemporary groups. British Sea Power covered 'Tugboat' for a Rough Trade compilation, and you can hear echoes of their somnolent splendor in Mogwai and Low. Many of my peers deride them for being cheap Velvet Underground copyists who can't play songs with more than 3 chords, but they've missed the point: Galaxie 500 did what every band should set out to do - play together to work out the sound that suited them best - and they made it sound effortless and natural. And whereas the Velvets favoured drone as a form of attack, Galaxie 500 preferred to lull you; the Velvets are altogether darker and scabbier, while Galaxie's sound is stately and full of spaces and light.

Not an important band in the history of music, then, nor an especially original one, but certainly a crucial band in the hearts of many listeners, including mine (did I mention the nice orange cover?). If you've never heard them, then firstly, where have you been? And secondly, 'The Portable Galaxie 500' might be a good place to start. Or 'On Fire.' In fact, the whole damn lot. As those daft sleeve notes say: 'Come ride the fiery breeze of Galaxie 500!'

13 February 2005

Album Review: Belle And Sebastian - Dear Catastrophy Waitress

Author: Aurelia Wilson

1.Step Into My Office, Baby - Oooooh that beginning riff gets in you and you think 'Oh I'm gonna love this!' and you will! It's about sleeping 'with the boss's baby'. Not like any of us have done that? There's irony in it somehow. Rockstars working at offices and crushing on the boss's baby. So you like it eh? Well, do it again!

2. Dear Catastrophe Waitress - Starts off quite slow, like you are expecting an acoustic track but wait another few seconds; Dear Catastrophe Waitress is a random saying, nothing you'd hear everyday. It's a blend of drums and guitars and everything works.

3. If She Wants Me - This one is a dreamy catchy one. The little lick is so splendid and the lyrics are simply dandy. Stuart does some awesome vocals which add to the whole effect. The chorus gets in you and doesn't leave.

4. Piazza, New York Catcher - No doubt it is acoustic you aren't getting tricked like in Dear Catastrophe Waitress. It's telling a story about how their life and Piazza the New York catcher compares.

5. Asleep on a Sunbeam - So I'm nearly in the middle of the album and Oh My Gosh, it's a girl singing!! That was unpredicted. Sarah sings the song with help from Stuart. This is such a dandy song and it puts you in a happy mood. Everything feels light and airy kinda like summer. What's better than sleeping and summer? My joy is complete...

6. I'm A Cuckoo - Easily one of my favorites and easily cool. Funny lyrics and the whole instruments come together to make a light, airy peachy atmosphere for the song. It's a feeling I get like I'm flying on a sunny day. That's saying something.

7. You Don't Send Me - I have a weak spot for the use of trumpets in rock music. It gives the music a Soulful flavor (flavor is a word I don't use often). The versus including all the instruments and all sorts of vocals. I was so afraid the chorus would break up because it's drums and only drums but it keeps going and it finishes well.

8. Wrapped Up in Books - Normally I'd think the drums is what makes the song flow but the bass is what keeps it up. Again being normal I skip it; it's a great song don't get me wrong!!! It'll grow on you and give it time and it'll be golden. Bottom half though.

9. Lord Anthony - The beginning has a whimsical feeling. It's a fairy tale!! No, it's not but it's a quiet song but it builds up. Anthony is that kid who was always picked on and how he overcomes it all.

10. If You Find Yourself Caught In Love - The beginning is misleading; it's not a piano song. It's rather funny actually. It picks up about a minute in the song. Looking for love is so difficult; just as difficult as falling in love. The tune is so attractive! I rather enjoy the tempo leading up to the chorus.

11. Roy Walker - Oh this sounds like something you'd hear in the fifties; very retro but once the vocals start it gets updated. Music stops and it's snapping which is very circa 1950 music. You'll get immersed in the tempo and noises. Sounds during the vocal part; they aren't made by instruments but it's mash-up of all these noises; don't be afraid if you find yourself snapping along to it.

12. Stay Loose - I'm a sucker for Napoleon Dynamite and this sounds like Napoleon music. It's like an 80s techno meets indie jazzesque. Unique in fact.

02 February 2005

Album Review: LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem

Author: Matti Gregory

LCD Soundsystem
It's always been cool to arrive at the party late, so it should come as no surprise that NYC's premiere detached scenester of 2002, James Murphy, should finally bring out his debut LCD Soundsystem album three years late. Which is in some ways a shame, because if we'd got this back when Converse was compulsory and short hair a sin then it would have been, like, the best thing ever, man. But now that rock is being reclaimed by the geeks, and Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand are the hipster's choice, we get the opportunity to listen to 'LCD Soundsystem' objectively. And even taken out of its proper time and place, what a belter it is.

Effortlessly mixing the supposedly deceased genre of dance and cool-as-fuck indie, it's like the nights out at Trash you always read about (but never actually went to) brought to life in two handy compact discs. Disc One is the debut album proper, nine tracks of beats, fuzzed bass, manic yelping and, yes, those cowbells that made House Of Jealous Lovers the official floor-filler for indie discos everywhere. The brilliant rock-kid baiting 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House' is the perfect start, with a rhythm that would get arthritic octogenarians dancing madly, and although 'Too Much Love' is a little too formulaic to really get the pulse racing, everything else here follows on in a manner purpose-built to give you the best rave you can ever have on your own. 'Movement' switches from staccato drum machines to full-on punk-funk freak out, 'Tribulations' is a bass monster coated with sugar-sweet synth, and 'Disco Infiltrator' manages to be so brilliant it can get away with having the phrase 'fo' sho' in the lyrics (that's 'fore sure', for those not up to date with your cod-MCisms), although this being James Murphy it's probably ironic. It all ends on the serene bliss-out of 'Great Release', one of the most dreamy dance tracks ever committed to CD.

Disc Two will be more familiar to most people, as it's a compilation of all the singles that made LCD Soundsystem a 'name' in the first place. The brilliantly witty 'Losing My Edge' is here, as is 'Beat Connection' and both mixes of 'Yeah', but unless you've had your head under a pillow since the end of 2001, no description is necessary here. Some magazines have described Murphy as the man who will save dance. If he does, this isn't the album that will. But it will bring members of the lager generation who haven't got over the superclub explosion yet and the indie kids who still haven't got over The Strokes yet together, and maybe even give them a sense of purpose again. And for that James, we thank you.

01 February 2005

Live Review: The Tears at The Zodiac in Oxford - 14th December 2004

Author: Silke

I remember reading an article quite a few years back which argued that rock's best partnerships always end in tears. From what I remember the article argued that the songwriting partnerships of the likes of Lennon and McCartney, Morrissey and Marr, Butler and Anderson, Townshend and Daltrey had all hit turbulent times at the height of their creativity, but that at the same time many of music's greatest songs had been penned within bitter rivalries.

At the time I agreed and now I can't help but smile at the statement that rock's best partnership always end "in tears", as Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler (the duo who co-founded Suede) have found a way back together and have formed The Tears.

When Bernard Butler quit Suede during the making of 'Dog Man Star' I was gutted. The album itself turned out to be my favourite album of all times for a long time to come, but things were never quite the same for me. As a big Suede fan I of course continued to be interested in their new material. But none of it really touched me the way their self-titled debut album and 'Dog Man Star' did. It was as if that volatile relationshop between Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler made the magic of Suede for me and when their working partnership ended the sparkle faded.

Needless to say when I heard that Brett and Bernard were reforming as the Tears I just couldn't believe it. It was as if time was turning back to the days of the ultimate Suede. It was just like a dream.

I actually thought I had missed out on tickets to their debut gig, thinking it was their London Heaven gig which was sold out before I was even near a computer. But then it was announced that they were actually going to play another gig (the true debut) in Oxford and I was glued to the computer screen and had my credit card at the ready. I managed to get tickets and couldn't believe my luck. The tickets never went on general sale and the venue (the cosy Zodiac) was small and intimate, so this felt like one of the most special gigs ever... and I was going to be part of it.

Arriving at the venue I kept thinking: 'This can't be real'. Even when I felt my heart skip a beat as Bernard and Brett walked on stage after the rest of their new band, I still had to pinch myself... to check it was actually happening: I was seeing Bernard and Brett reunited. During the gig I behaved like a giddy child. I was jumping up and down and screaming (until I lost my voice) and was completely in awe of what I was witnessing, a new band that I felt like I instantly knew really well. With no single or album released, their set was made up entirely of new songs and despite the fact that I was experiencing a brand new sound I sensed so much familiarity.

The opener was 'Brave New Century' and it rocked with wicked guitar riffs and vocal harmonies. After this amazing start to the gig Brett modestly asked the crowd whether it was alright. When the crowd cheered like crazy Brett grinned like a Cheshire cat at the reception (and continued to do so the whole gig รข€“ maybe he couldn't believe what was happening either!). The gig continued with the catchy 'Refugees' which had guitar riffs that reminded me a little bit of Bernard's solo song 'Not Alone'.

I loved '2 Creatures' which felt a bit like the old 'Dog Man Star' material especially lyrically as it is about two people in love running away together. But my favourites of the night were probably Apollo 13' (a song that Brett announced as being "about a doomed relationship" and which had a great chorus and certainly great comeback single potential), 'Autograph' (which kind of sounded a bit like the Smiths and had a beautiful melody) and 'Imperfection' (which was the probably best example of Bernard new role of doing backing vocals). I wasn't all that keen on 'Beautiful Pain', maybe because it felt too 'A New Morning'-esque, but I was quite taken in by 'Fallen Idol' which Brett introduced by saying it was about Pete Townsend. In the middle of the song Brett got out a recorder-piano-thing which made me laugh so much.

One thing that was quite disconcerting though was the fact that Brett continually gesticulated at the sound guy to adjust his vocals, but I guess he was just keen to make sure the sound was just right.

The encore was the beautiful 'A Love As Strong as Death' and it felt like Brett and Bernard were trying to keep in tradition with their habit of ending their albums on a piano ballad (like 'Still Life' and 'The Next Life').

At the end of the gig Brett announced: "These are the only songs we've got, so we can't play any more really" and I was upset to see them leave as they had delivered a truly shining performance which made me so excited about hearing their new material. In 'Co-Star' Brett sang: "When we're together my co-star and me, the stars come out to shine". Let's hope that these co-stars don't give up on working together so that we can continue to see that sparkle.

Admittedly I have been a little bit worried about them splitting up again, especially as during the gig the two of them barely exchanged a single glance. But maybe they've just realised that some musicians are born to work together and that they don't need to be the best of friends to keep up a brilliant creative partnership. Let's hope so.

The set list:

Brave New Century
Refugees
Imperfection
2 Creatures
Autograph
Co-Star
Fallen Idol
Feels Like Monday
Beautiful Pain
Apollo 13
Lovers
A Love As Strong As Death