Another particularly low-key marketing strategy seemed to have been adopted for this show. No posters around town and it didn't even warrant a mention in the Evening Telegraph's What's On guide. Nevertheless there was still a good turnout. Bumped into Paul and Nigel (no, not that Nigel) beforehand for a steady hour or so in the Sitwell. And afterwards me and Paul got talking to a couple of locals who had seen HMHB at a far smaller venue last time they played in Derby. Another indication of how the band has progressed over the years.
One constant feature at these gigs is the number of pillars that you have to peer round. Maybe not as bad as at Preston, but they are always welcome. And it was good to once again hear regular shouts of "What Did God Give Us, Neil?". I was too far away to pick up the bits of banter, although there was a snippet of The Cat Crept In during Twenty-Four Hour Garage People, and Neil dabbled with the bass riff to New Dawn Fades. Either of those would provide interesting cover versions. Tonight, though, they went with The Pixies.
The band was dredging the back catalogue a bit. My scrawl says something like this.
Mathematically Safe
PRS Yearbook
Fear My Wraith
Shit Arm Bad Tattoo (there was some fringe entertainment during this song when one of the alarms went off and the door staff scrambled into action - these guys were on high alert and I was expecting one of them to charge onto stage and tap Nigel on the shoulder)
Doreen
Ready Steady Goa
Fred Titmus
Bad Review
San Antonio Foam Party
Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes
CORGI Registered Friends
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
For What Is Chatteris?
Slipknot
Surging Out Of Convalescence
Twenty-Four Hour Garage People
Ninety-Nine Per Cent Of Gargoyles
We Built This Village On A Trad Arr Tune
CAMRA Man
Bottleneck At Capel Curig
Uffington Wassail
Look Dad No Tunes
Them's The Vagaries
Emerging From Gorse (with a splendid "Shit Band No Fans" from one and all)
Everything's AOR
Three songs in the encore:
Here Comes Your Man
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Trumpton Riots
Still no oven gloves for sale at Geoff's stall. I reckon they could be a winner. Maybe next time...