Saw Ian Brown at Shepherd Bush once. Really was awful and out of tune and rooted to the spot stuff; very disappointing. Went to see the excellent Electric Soft Parade who were...really excellent. Shame they didn’t get more success really.
I saw SLF at the Top Rank on a come back tour in 88 I think. Opened up, in the dark, with a half-paced Alternative Ulster and when the lights came on Jake Burns was wearing black pleated trousers.
I have a number of their albums. Think they’ve evolved into a brilliant stadium art/pop band, like their dabblings with Eno, Clocks and Speed of Sound are my favourites and I’ve seen them live twice.
Oh, and Chris Martin seems a thoroughly good egg a funny guy: check out the extras on the...
He’s good on this as well.
https://youtu.be/SgSuSj-6_C4
As an aside, Belfast is quite an odd and incongruous topic for a upbeat disco tune. Think that’s what’s so great about Boney M.
No need to apologise for Boney M. I think they’re great and Bobby Farrell was a class act. Just check him out in this Top of the Pops performance. Silver cat suit, check. Furry cape, check. Out of time ostentatious dancing, check. Star jumps, check. Apparently he liked a bit of marching powder...
I saw Duran Duran about 7 years ago at the Centre. They were great fun and there’s something quite brilliant about Simon Le Bon still living his dream, plodding around the stage and attempting star-jumps during Wild Boys when he’s 50 plus.
It’s a very odd venue. First gig I ever saw there was Marillion on the Misplaced Childhood tour and have been going ever since. The only bands who have ever truly overcome this dreary building are The Killers and Motörhead. The Killers really got the place rocking like no other band; this was...