The anticipation for this gig had been building for sometime, well hope was always growing and with the demise of Beady Eye and Andy Bell being available real hope started to blossom. Then the Ride logo appeared in Barcelona for the Primavera Festival and the announcement came that the band had reformed.
Now it’s Bank Holiday Sunday, a sold out Roundhouse and the wait (of years for many) was finally over, Ride are back with us and opener ‘Leave Them All Behind’ from 1992’s ‘Going Blank Again’ was nothing sort of awe-inspiring.
Even though the band had played a BBC6 radio session a few days before and dates in Glasgow and Manchester in the UK that was really ignored by this reviewer, so as to try and experience the enormity of the occasion this Sunday night in London town.
What became evident on the every first song was what it is like to ‘live the dream’ after a wait of close on 20 years, the crowd moved again as one, arms aloft and voices at full throttle, this was no empty reunion this was the goosebumps on the back of the neck reunion!
‘Like a Daydream’ was a surprise second song in, followed by the opening reverb guitar of ‘Polar Bear ‘and the first visit to ‘Nowhere’. Straight into an epic ‘Seagull’ after that and the whisper of Loz Colbert being on top of this game on the drum stool was there for all to see on this song. The guy as was the band, tremendous all night long.
Sound was spot on and the temperature in the venue just continued to climb. This was an outstanding concert and one you just had to be at. All the classics 'Twisterella' led to 'OX4' and a simply stunning ‘Dreams Burn Down’.
There was still so much more to come, the first hour of the concert just zoomed by, an hour seemed gone in the blink of an eye.
‘Paralysed’, ‘Vapour Trail’, then ’Drive Blind’ from their debut EP brought the main set to a stunning climax. Not many dry eyes left in the house I doubt.
The encore brought three more classics, which finished with the first EP being revisited with ‘Chelsea Girl’.
Massive smiles from the band and audience alike.. Where do we go from here? Mark certainly seems to have the swagger and now the whole band are ‘on the button’ again who knows …… a new album? . See you at Field Day 7 June!
Pete
Set
Leave Them All Behind
Like a Daydream
Polar Bear
Seagull
Sennen
Cool Your Boots
Black Nite Crash
Twisterella
OX4
Dreams Burn Down
Time of Her Time
Chrome Waves
Paralysed
Taste
Vapour Trail
Drive Blind
Encore
Close My Eyes
Mouse Trap
Chelsea Girl