The
Guildhall is one of my favourite venues on the circuit - nice hall,
decent sound, friendly staff and a good crowd (apart from the odd
clown who STILL thinks it's funny to throw beer glasses).
A
year to the day since they last played Gloucester, The Damned returned,
with Pinch promising "a spectacular video show and a ramped
up setlist". Well, the video show was certainly very impressive
and decidedly psychedelic, reminiscent of a 1960s Pink Floyd show,
but I must admit to being a bit disappointed with the setlist, which
wasn't much changed from the past couple of years.
The 'summer psych out' was a great chance to add some different, more
psychedelic songs to the live set - for example, Limit Club, Gun Fury,
Stranger on the Town, Lively Arts - but instead we got the 'MGE 25'
opening, plus the same old favourites.
The performance was brilliant, of course, and a joy to watch as always,
but a little more variety would have been nice.
A great support slot, too, from Flat Pack Heroes. They sound
like the Small Faces might have done if they had been a punk band,
and they have a charismatic singer, some sharp and amusing lyrics,
and bags of energy.
The
Damned's setlist:
Love Song
Machine Gun Etiquette
I Just Can't Be Happy Today
Disco Man
Generals
I Fall
Neat Neat Neat
13th Floor Vendetta
History of the World Part 1
Ignite
Fan Club
Alone Again Or
New Rose
Antipope
Smash It Up (parts 1 & 2)
Eloise
Jet Boy Jet Girl
I Feel Alright
Review by Grant Macabre.
Set-list
scan from
Hoopernajc ("The
Damned top class yet again.")