Well they promised us a light show, and it's already kicked in as part of the warm-up to The Charlatans a DJ set from One Beat Records is laying down some disco funk, the mirror ball above the stage is glittering through the smoke and the over 40s who make up most of tonight's crowd are getting up for a big Friday night trip down memory lane at The Civic.
What stops tonight being a tribute act is that The Charlatans have just come through another band tragedy (the death of drummer Jon Brookes in 2013) and released 'Modern Nature' their best, most upbeat album in many years.
At the appointed time the lights dim, the low funky bass and keyboard intro to 'Forever' creeps out of the PA and the band, with Pete Salisbury of The Verve and others occupying the drum stool tonight, as he does on several tracks from the new album start the groove. Lead singer Tim Burgess with his now familiar but still badly dyed (we can see your roots Tim) blonde, Andy Warhol style long bob taking the first of many crowd photos which litter his Twitter account. The stabbing keyboard intro to 'Weirdo' starts the first really serious bout of crowd bouncing, which continues through 'North Country Boy' and 'Tellin' Stories'.
The pace slows for 'Trouble Understanding' the best track from 'Modern Nature' with its lovely, lazy piano and the killer chorus “ Never Ending' also from 'Modern Nature'. We to need be held to be aware of own our bodies. Nature is trouble understanding.”, followed by the appropriately titled 'Let the Good Times Be
The tumbling, thumping piano from 'One To Another' gets the whole room bouncing again, the audience temporarily losing the years between 1997 and 2015 in a mass of sweaty limbs and shouted vocals. Tim with a broad grin on his face is taking more crowd shots to document the fun down the front. The final three tracks of the main set ' How High',' The Only One I Know' and 'Come Home Baby' keep the pace going through to the end of a triumphant return.
First encore is 'Blackened Blue Eyes' from 'Simpatico' and “this is for Jon Brookes” (the band were formed in the West Midlands, later moving to Cheshire) they finish as ever with 'Sproston Green'. Tim departs the stage after the vocal is finished leaving the band to keep the audience dancing for a couple more minutes. As they bring the show to a close the back screen has a fitting and appropriate tribute to Jon Brookes which gets a respectful round of applause.
With the cool light show, a band on top form playing songs from a memorable back catalogue and a great new album, let the good times be never ending; welcome to the best over-40s disco in town.
Alisdair Whyte
