Back to That London for the first time since 2015, with the band’s first ever Top 40 album hot off the presses and a sell-out audience of over 2,000. No pressure then. What was it like?
Back to That London for the first time since 2015, with the band’s first ever Top 40 album hot off the presses and a sell-out audience of over 2,000. No pressure then. What was it like?
Third Rate Les
A crack
8 June 2018
Nagasaki shinpads
…ing
8 June 2018
third rate les
A cracking night, great setlist, hampered a little by it being extremely hot. The guitarist was feeling it, and Nigel seemed to struggle at the end too.
8 June 2018
Twistedkitemike
A quick note before I retire upstairs, with the set-list for all you completists: –
Fred T
Terminus
Evening Sun
Squabblefest
Renfield
Lilac HQ
Restless
Look Dad
Knobheads
Paintball
Eno
Yipps
Korfball
DPAK
Bane
Chatteris
Futsal
Bad Wools
Colombia
Fix It
Light Tunnel
NSD
Trad Arr
Vatican
Trumpton
JDOG
Every Time a Bell Rings
……………………………………..
Checkatrade
London Calling
AOR
More news to follow from your onsite correspondents…… for sure.
Mike……………..
8 June 2018
Bob ARCTOR
I Saw Her Standing There / Where Is My Mind / The Light At The End Of The Tunnel was quite the thing wasn’t it??
9 June 2018
The harbinger of nothing
Cheers Mike!
Not being at the gig and occasionally refreshing this page for setlist news… Reminded me of those pre-internet days of following live sport on Teletext!
5 debuts in one gig… I’ll check the stats but wondering if that could be a post-2000 record.
Kind of surprised they played Terminus, especially so early! Also surprised they didn’t play Mod Diff or Harsh Times. Would have loved to hear London Calling. Wish I’d been there!
9 June 2018
Transit full of keith
7 off the new album!
9 June 2018
Lee gillingham
What a great gig
Great set list
Roll on the next one .
9 June 2018
RenfEild
Just in after being on the same train home as Damian Green. Utterly fecking brilliant. Thanks to all in mosh pit for looking out for my daughter. Thanks to Neil for giving us the set list. A torn page from Wednesday 22 August 2001. Everything in blue ink apart from a starred black ink Eno. The boys certainly put in, to quote Shearer, a shift. Loved it all, lament only the lack of Godcore. The utter adoration for Nigel during Every Time a Bell Rings filled me with joy. Thank you, HMHB. I have lost my voice and bruised my ribs but will be sleeping with a huge grin.
9 June 2018
Excavated Rita
Seen them many times over many years and this was possibly the best yet. A superb performance before a large and appreciative audience. New songs sounded excellent though slightly surprised by choices, such as the omission of Umberstone and Mod/Diff, and Checkatrade in the encore. But these are merely minor quibbles. Be surprised if ETABR doesn’t become a staple judging by the crowd reaction and singalong to the chorus and outro. Less than usual between song banter but it didn’t seem to matter. Nigel did say they arrived at 12 and went for a walk around Hampstead Heath taking wraps bought from Pret. He admitted this was a cliche, so presumably true. Then again, he said they came across someone doing a sand sculpture of Pam Ferris, so who knows?
9 June 2018
Chris The Siteowner
Back home just the right side of 1am – excellent gig. Great to see so many familiar faces, but even better to meet a whole bunch of new folks who frequent these parts. Clearly I should wear an Ipswich Town shirt with m’name on it more often. Also good to see a 1983-era ‘Pioneer’ sponsored Ipswich shirt up the front, and a far too subtle Arnold Muhren tee behind.
Cheers for the set list, Mike. Not sure how the numbers stack up, but 30 songs including ETABR, RRIFOBW and NSD (all over 5 minutes) must be up there with the most epic of gigs. Given the large London audience full of occasionals, I wondered whether the set might be a bit heavy on the early stuff, fears confirmed when the set opened with Fred Titmus. But then straight away we got Terminus and eventually ended up hearing far more new material than anyone had expected. Superb.
PS: It did sound like “Start meeting friends” to me. Hope someone recorded it. Also definitely “Hickstead” x4 and “Shit Dad”.
9 June 2018
Danny
Did any notice, that they didn’t play the verse from London’s Calling that includes the line
“Phoney Beatle Mania Has Bitten Dust”?
9 June 2018
Duke of westminsteR
Damian Green was probably cursing the fact that his Soylent Green plans for using badminton club posters to cull the over 50s
have been uncovered (and he would have got away with it if it wasn’t for those meddling HMHB kids).
9 June 2018
Nigel,no not that one (nx3to)
Due to the “new, improved ” rail timetable, we had to leave shortly after 10.30 pm (NSD was playing).
It looks like we missed a fair chunk.
Nevertheless, a great gjg and first time for Nx3TO +1 who thought them the best live band she has seen.
9 June 2018
SNOUT
Slightly groggy (and dehydrated) this morning but worth it, what a cracking gig. I’ve not been the biggest fan of the new album but (a) it’s growing on me and (b) the songs sounded really good last night. I think Bladderwrack and Terminus have to be my favourites but still not convinced about ETABR.
Thanks to Ben for sorting out my ungrateful Scottish mate a ticket, who ended up really enjoying it despite knowing owt about t’Biscuits beforehand.
Ended up at the back for half the set near the merch stall, due to said Scot being useless at finding me with beer replacements, so had to go meet him there, where a drunken knob got ejected late on for essentially trying to start fights. He was so far gone he was easy to avoid!
Top night.
9 June 2018
Renfield
I have awoken and realised that on the set list that Neil gave me didn’t have My Baby’s Got the Yipps on it.
9 June 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Being an Northern Boy I must admit I don’t like travelling south. But Iv’e got to say that was the best HMHB concert I have seen or heard absolutely top notch.
The Mosh led by The King of Hi-Vis and Brumbiscuit was absolutely fantastic.
Nice to hear the new songs but the highlight for me was the bands cover of London Calling it was brilliant, Although Nigel did miss out a line or two. It was nice to see the familiar faces who I now call good friends and made my trek down south all the worthwhile.
God Bless You All….
9 June 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Please forgive my grammar….
9 June 2018
Dennis Bell From Torquay
Best gig I’ve been to, first (of many) of Half Man’s. Thanks to all for a brilliant night! ~potentially the youngest attendee
9 June 2018
transit full of keith
Great gig, only slightly marred by the choice to hold it in North London’s biggest sauna. All seven(!) off the new album sounded great. The note at the end of Knobheads was sustained for what seemed like twelve minutes without artificial support. Must admit I’d been a bit indifferent to ETABR, compared with others on the album, but not after hearing it live – it fully held its own as the epic-just-before-encore-one. A thousand voices chorused “Bollock-o” in unison. Paintball couple have ditched the Joy of Sex DVD for 50 Shades of Everything, and they drive around in a lemon yellow Fiat. Pixies/Beatles/Tunnel medley was clever stuff. The old 80s world cup song singalong thankfully quickly gave way to Vatican Broadside. Vocals were a bit muddy at the front but sounded much better further back. Neil’s bass was suitably turned up to eleven throughout.
9 June 2018
brumbiscuit
I really must stop forgetting to wear my work steel-toecapped trainers to these gigs! It also feels today that a knee brace might be in order.
Echoing others’ comments it was a great gig, somewhat marred by the heat down the front. Never seen water being handed out at a gig before.
The Pineapple looked good until I saw the queue. We then detoured to a VERY Irish pub about a mile away where beer was £2.50/pint – in That London! Right by Tuffnell Park tube station it was. The main bonus being that I got served within a minute, whereas the Pineapple was not looking good for a beer for a long while.
When we arrived at about 8.55, it was very full and prospects of reaching the front looked bleak, but fired by Irish beer, and by pure cheek and tagging onto the coat tails of a girl who was looking for her boyfriend we made it to the front and the rest is history.
A meeting with Mr Larrington of this parish did not happen. I think he is a product of the ether, a will-o’-the-wisp, who manages somehow to type entries onto forums from his cave in Montagne-au-Perche.
Anyway, that is my HMHB done for 2018, I think, unless something else gig-wise is announced in the meantime. On another note, if I totted up what this gig cost, it would have to be three or four time what Bilston did. Expensive, That London.
Oh, apologies to Tony/Hendrix Tattoo for blanking him on the Tube station. Sorry mate!
9 June 2018
brumbiscuit
Oh, two more things:
1) I have never had my neck massaged at a gig before
2) Why are folk surprised and then get angry/aggressive when it starts getting lively at the front? There’s a balcony, you know!
9 June 2018
Cathedral juice
Inspiring gig. I liked how the first two songs more or less bookended their career. Something of a statement of intent for the rest of the night.
There was an instant classic feel to some of the new songs (RA, ETABR) to judge by the universal audience reaction / participation.
I heard various lines the same as CtSO, for what it’s worth. Didn’t realise at the time what bit of London Calling was missed out – of course, Beatlemania (thanks, Danny). Do people think that was a deliberate omission, or one of the occasional slips in delivery on the night? I’d say deliberate – I had the impression that the band was playing a shortened verse, rather than the whole verse of which a line or two disappeared in performance.
9 June 2018
Cait
My first ever Biscuit gig, despite having bought the first lp upon release with my 16th birthday present money. Remarkably good vfm too as it was possibly the longest set I’ve seen – except for maybe Billy (4 encores) Bragg. I made it through the first hour towards the front, but I started to melt and headed backwards (is that possible?) Thought the sound was clearer there too.
9 June 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Cheers Andy it was nice to see you again buddy. I had no problem getting served in the Pinapple because I was getting cans of Guinness from the off licence facing and disposing of the empty cans in their bins.
Also I’m sorry I did not mention this before but J D Meatyard was very good….
9 June 2018
Chris The Siteowner
One of the most pleasant surprises of the night was how good Terminus was live, cementing it in my opinion as the best song on the new album. And I’m not too proud to admit it also helped that Dr Desperate – at his 40th Biscuit gig – had quietly explained to me in the pub beforehand what the ‘grey-green’ reference means. Coincidentally @Cait, I’m going to see Billy Bragg (for the millionth time) tonight, although as we’re currently packing the picnic, I suspect it’ll be more of an Elbow-in-Delamere, craft beer event than last night.
9 June 2018
jeff dreadnought
Fred Titmus to open, just like at the Junction in Cambridge all those years ago (2006?) when I first saw them live – ah nostalgia. Terminus was brilliant as Chris said, but I thought came a bit early in the set. I would have liked it to have come later on after I’d got the moshing out of my system and would have been ready for a bit of quiet, introspective, understated genius. On which subject the moshpit looked exceedingly good-natured from where I was standing, i.e. on the fringes at first but then with increasingly frequent forays into the fray before the heat got a bit much. As others have said, it was like a sauna in there and what with that and the beer being chucked around my wolfskin fleece was definitely in need of the full 90 degrees by the end.
Rambling recollections: a few missed lines and slips in delivery as others have said, e.g. if you listened closely to the set by TBA, the cover versions they did were both David Gray. And the wrap on Hampstead Heath, with word “wrap” getting the ETABR “replica kit” treatment, which made me chuckle, as did the suggested fate of the badminton over-50s. “Soylent Green is People!” – I always thought that’s what Gwatkin was all about, too.
Others have also rightly commented on the brilliance of the set. Of the new editions to the usual suspects (Shite, AOR, Look Dad, Trad Arr Tune joyous as ever), I thought ETABR came into its own in the live environment and Knobheads perhaps even more so. I would loved to have had Mod Diff and Harsh Times (even if that meant relegating, say, Alehouse Futsal and maybe London Calling to the bench), but that’s probably just being greedy. And I miss the mid-set respite of 24-Hour GP, which sadly seems no longer to feature on the setlist these days.
9 June 2018
third rate les
I noticed the Beatlemania omission too, and was delighted to hear it. The cover highlighted to me just how intensely annoying The Clash sometimes were. HMHB covers are not always that great, but that one added a lot.
A startlingly vibrant, relevant, chaotic, brilliant set and performance, and a great crowd
9 June 2018
Stephen Howell
This was my first HMHB gig. Since I was wearing a “National Shite Day” badge I appreciated the inclusion of that one. I would have liked to have heard “Man of Constant Sorrow with a Garage in Constant Use”, as it’s my favourite track from the new album. I was also pleased to see the Ipswich Town shirts, being an Ipswich fan and hailing from Suffolk myself.
Great gig.
9 June 2018
Stephen Howell
A also noticed the omission of phony Beatlemania and assumed it was a Merseyside solidarity / gentle mockery of these Londoners thing.
9 June 2018
Warden Hodges
All whetting the appetite for that Liverpool lark like kidda!
See yis Sept.
9 June 2018
Andy Williams
…and a little pre world cup blast of “This time”
9 June 2018
Dave n barbara
My tenth Biscuit gig and my wife’s second. Marvellous. The cheer when the bass line of Renfield’s Afoot started up will be my memory of the night. A ‘live favourite’ in the making right there. Great versions of Bad Wools, Tunnel, Paintball, Chatteris, many others. Splendid. This new guitarist can play the guitar.
The Pineapple’s gone right down the nick, though. Used to be able to handle crowds like last night. Nert any merr, as Peter Sellers would have said.
10 June 2018
parsfan
Well, that was good.
On the train down the woman across from me noticed my t-shirt, “Half Man Half Biscuit” she said, “they were a band weren’t they? From the 80s”. When I said they were still going and playing that night her companion queried if I was in them. At least neither suggested John Kettley.
I don’t know if it was just the heat, London or the possibility of me going off beer but, in an afternoon/evening of drinking in diverse taverns between the station and venue, I don’t think I had one decent pint. Certainly not the first time I’ve thought ill of the beer down there, so hope for me yet.
A quick chat with Roger, Karen (guest listees) & Tony outside venue with band then off to The Pineapple. Well done to H-Tat for his resourcefulness in acquiring beer without wasting his time in a queue. I meant to ask Dr D about the crossword from the album. I photocopied it for doing on the train but gave up after less than ten minutes. I could live with the acrosses and downs being the wrong way round but the clues’ lack of how many letters the answers should have made me come up with only wrong ones. Met CtSO for the first time and some bloke with the best homemade HMHB t-shirt I’ve ever seen (well, at least since the last time I noticed him with an earlier version in Sheffield in 2005).
The gig itself was just superb, as everyone else has mentioned. I clearly heard “Stop meeting friends” and thought that would put an end to that debate. The only downside was the heat. I didn’t last long in the pit and made a sharp exit afterwards for fresh air and more shite beer.
That’s probably it for me for the year, but I’d be surprised if there’s not more, smaller, gigs announced for late on once the fixtures come out.
10 June 2018
Mark Taylor
Sad at the number of anti-London/southern sentiments on here. We have as much right to watch the band as you do. And I don’t see once a year as occasional especially as I’ve been doing it for 33 years.
And to think there was some bizarre Liverpudlian conspiracy theory behind Nigel’s forgetfulness on the otherwise brilliant cover of London Calling is just insane. The band aren’t from Liverpool for starters and, unlike some of you, they don’t hate London.
A great gig and loved the half cover of This Time We’ll Get It Right as well as the nod to The Pixies but no need to play The Beatles – most overrated band in history.
First saw the band in 1985 and this was probably the best ever.
Cheers
A southern bastard with a chip on his shoulder
10 June 2018
third rate les
I’ve just read through every comment and I still can’t really see any London hatred, nor can I see anyone suggesting any Liverpudlian conspiracies. Unless you count omitting a line you don’t like as a conspiracy. It was a belter of a gig with a wonderfully boisterous crowd which nevertheless all mucked in to find a pair of lost specs in the middle of JDOG.
I probably won’t mosh in a suit and cufflinks again though, at least not in summer.
Been a funny weekend for me. My wife is unwell in hospital and the lines from the new album about ageing and death are weighing on me. She’ll be out tomorrow so am getting the Battenbergs ready, as the garden’s looking great.
10 June 2018
SOUTHERN BASTARD
Twas no 30 Stephen someone mentioned Liverpool conspiracies and mocking Londoners and othet people moaned about occasionals and “that London” and its prices.
But, as I said, it was still a top gig and number 20 on my list which is not bad because I refuse to go north of Watford…
10 June 2018
third rate les
Must be good at filtering these things out!
The only other thing I’d say is that I missed Ken. I used to love watching Ken. Loved the way he’d try a few rock-god flourishes and then look around a bit shyly and shuffle into the background, and I loved the slightly protective way he’d keep an eye on Nigel.
No reflection on the new one, and musically there’s a real vitality to the new stuff. I just missed him.
10 June 2018
hendrix-tattoo
‘Ecky Thump’ am I so glad to be back up north so I could wear ma’ flat cap and shove ma’ ferret down trousers ‘Eeh By Gum toffee factory’….
10 June 2018
carrie anne
Technology has thoroughly defeated me – if anyone can copy Roger’s review and paste it on here I’ll buy you a pint in Liverpool.
Anyway, it’s on Gez’s website!
Warning – May mention the price of ice cream in our capital city, No offence intended.
(Copied over below – CtSO)
10 June 2018
NOT ROGER GREEN
Roger Green writes:
Much of the prelude to this show was taken up with brainwashing myself with the songs from the newly released No-One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin’ Hedge Cut. The live environment had helped me become familiar with Renfield’s Afoot as well as A Man Of Constant Sorrow (although the latter has a more substantial musical backing on the CD than had been afforded to it when played live). I have always been a little trepidatious when a new album is released. Would it fit in seamlessly with the rest of the band’s work, particularly as Urge For Offal had been such a personal favourite? Of course (of course!) there was no need to worry.
Having said that, I tend to take a similar view to John Peel’s feelings with the The Fall’s work. He was once asked to draw up a list of his top twenty Fall songs. His reply was that you are missing the point if you do that. It should all be seen as one great body of work. By and large I follow that line of thinking with HMHB. But because I am an inconsistent two-faced hypocrite, I need to say nevertheless that All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit is likely to be going on Desert Island Discs with me when I get my invitation. I have always been comfortable in my own skin with that knowledge. Until No-One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin’ Hedge Cut came my way. My inner self is wrestling with itself, trying to establish just how good a work of art is The Announcement. Back in the day, it would certainly have been Number One in my Festive Fifty vote (subject, of course, to anything else that comes along between now and the end of the year) but time will tell how deeply it grinds itself into the fibre of my being. And I was well impressed by the way that the Down clues on the crossword appear ahead of the Across clues. Defying convention.
If only Swerving The Checktrade had been around at the time, then I would have made a success of my English Literature studies at school. “I’ve weighed up all the pros and cons of watching Under Twenty-Ones / Oh let me gaze upon your curves instead of Ipswich Town reserves.” I had to put up with John Clare with his life turning to clay.
Shock, horror, No-One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin’ Hedge Cut was straight into “the album chart” with a bullet at number thirty-three. Of course, “the album chart” means different things to different folk. Intrigued, I headed to the Tesco store at Hemsworth. Tesco have their own “album chart”. Number thirty-three was a compilation seemingly on the Ladybird label. “How It Works – The Dad” appeared to be trying to complement their book of a similar title. The HMHB fan in me noted tracks by Journey and REO Speedwagon. But they clearly have their own idea of what “Dad” likes. Mine was into Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and the like. Karen called into her local Sainsburys on her way home from work. She reported that thirty-three in their chart was “101 Acoustic”, a five-CD set of the “best laid back songs and acoustic versions of the greatest chart hits.” On neither occasion did we bother to buy a respective copy. You don’t suppose these people draw up their own charts, by any chance? I used to do that when I was about eleven. Sparks hit the top of the charts every time they released a single.
The following appeared in my local paper. Bat walks in Nostell on various dates in May and August. “£5 per person, booking essential, maximum 20 people. Join a family-friendly guided night-time walk through the gardens spotting our furry friends and all sorts of nocturnal residents including frogs and owls… Booking is essential and places get filled up fast, so make sure you call early to avoid disappointment.” Great idea for a song there, if Nigel ever gets round to it.
Karen and I had a few journeys round and about. One of which saw us at The Millennium Gallery in Sheffield. Their Protest Season featured sections on the Suffragette Movement and the 1984/1985 Miners’ Strike for example. We spotted Ruth Ewan’s installation, A Jukebox Trying To Change The World. In among the selection of Peace songs we were delighted to see HMHB’s Song For Europe, tucked in next to Cat Stevens’ Peace Train. In went the money, but there was already a queue of selections, and we had to make do with singing “K-now Love, K-now Peace” to each other as we wandered along our merry way.
Among my Christmas pressies was a copy of Sit Down! Listen To This! It is a biography of Roger Eagle written by Bill Sykes. Roger Eagle evolved from a DJ into a major figure, involved in ventures such as Manchester’s Twisted Wheel and Eric’s in Liverpool. Geoff Davies pops up with several quotes in the Liverpool half of the story. (It is “Davies”, isn’t it? This book has dropped the “e” from his surname.) Mike Badger supported HMHB in Hull in November 2017, and staffed the Probe Plus stall at Leamington Spa earlier in 2018. He also makes a handful of appearances in the book. HMHB also get the briefest of mentions.
RIP Dick Quax. Back in the day he held the 5000 metres world record, and won a silver medal in the 1976 Olympics. Along with fellow New Zealanders John Walker and Rod Dixon, he was part of a golden age for that country’s athletes. Dick and his running shoes were of course immortalised in A Lilac Harry Quinn. Apparently he was born in Holland. Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus Quax on the birth certificate. David Coleman would never have been able to cope with that.
Another hearty thanks to avid Talk Sport listener Gomez for spotting an indirect reference. He was listening to Hawksbee and Jacobs on their afternoon show. They were trying to identify the UK’s most popular biscuits. Jacobs said “It’s Half Chocolate Half Biscuit. What a band they are!” Fellow presenter Max Rushden chipped in with “I love their song Richard Keys: Anchor Man.”
Our papers review amounted to flicking through two freebies, in search of the slightest mention of the HMHB show. Not that any plugging was required, with it being a sell-out. Nothing in Metro, whose column inches were taken up by mentions of Katy Perry, Travis and David Byrne. Similar silence in the Evening Standard who went with a solo gig by Thom Yorke “accompanied by regular collaborator Nigel Godrich and visual artist Tarik Barri”. That’s not quite my idea of a solo gig, I must say.
Karen and I were stopping near St Pancras station, a short walk from our arrival point of King’s Cross. Being townies, we were, as usual, blown away by the number of folk as we stuttered our way along Euston Road. We didn’t bother with the open-top bus tour, and didn’t really have time to do justice to any of the galleries or museums. We settled for a cup of tea and an episode of Countdown. Even though we are neither retired nor liberals. Not yet anyway.
Later we met Tony for a ceremonial handing over of a morris dancing tea-towel, and the three of us walked to The Forum. Karen checked on Google Maps. It was a healthy and invigorating 1.9 miles. Not an area of London I’ve seen before. Of course we had to pick our jaws off the floor when checking out house prices. I stretched as far as a Walls’ Magnum. £1.90. Could have been worse. We arrived at The Forum at a ridiculously early hour and met Neil who was catching some late afternoon, post-soundcheck fresh air. I took the opportunity to grill him on Tranmere’s prospects. His idea of mid-table reconciliation next season, followed by a surge towards The Premiership sounded optimistic, but it will be an interesting journey. I agreed with his World Cup assessment though. Never bet against Germany. Neil also won the best t-shirt award for his Johnny Thunders And The Heartbreakers number, as worn on stage.
The rest of the band also showed up. Nigel pointed us in the direction of a George Orwell blue plaque in recognition of the writer’s residence in the area. Like me, he was happy with the practice of being handed a free copy of the Evening Standard. And the two C/Karls were also well. There was a fair crowd of us. Matt, Jay, Andrew, Jordan, Emily, Paul, Clark and John all helped to block the footpath. Zinney was there with his daughter. They were staffing the stall. Good to see everyone, but soon enough it was time to move along and inside the venue.
There was some decent music coming out of the speakers. Love Will Tear Us Apart, for example, for that happy, family atmosphere. JD Meatyard (consisting of John, Gary and Tamsin) were prompt on stage at eight o’clock. “Nice venue,” commented John. “The developers can’t ruin it.” I’ve forgotten a lot of their song titles, but recognised St Peter Won’t Let Me In, Love That Girl, and the excellent Ubu At Eric’s. John said “It is an absolute pleasure to play with Half Man Half Biscuit.” He told us about the happy days of doing sessions for Peel’s programme, but “everything changed when he died. Nowadays DJs don’t want to know.” John also got his wish of a pint of Guinness from the crowd. This was supposedly in exchange for a CD. I’m sure he would have kept to his side of the bargain. This was a great set from the band. First time they have supported HMHB for a while. Casper’s Ballroom rounded things off nicely.
After that, we got talking to Nigel and Jo, and compared and contrasted notes on the previous weekend. We had been at the Long Division festival in Wakefield. They had been at the England v Pakistan test match at Headingley. We had a full day’s entertainment. They only got half a day. I also caught up with Graham who had just had to cancel a holiday because one of his children had caught chickenpox. Later on came taps on the shoulder from Howie and Postman Tony.
And so to HMHB’s grand entrance. There was much scratching of heads at the walk-on music. Nigel adjusted the microphone stand from John’s height to his own. A laptop on stage was pointed out. “It’s not a laptop,” he said. “It’s a kids’ DVD player.” There was silence from Nigel’s guitar. Of course, it was not plugged in to the amp. Being the hardened professional that he is, Nigel soon corrected this, and we were ready to go. “This is one that Joni Mitchell rejected,” he said before the band played Fred Titmus.
Nigel discussed how the band had done the cliched thing, by buying wraps from Pret A Manger, ahead of going to Hampstead Heath. His top tip was to buy the children’s one. “They are a pound cheaper and you get the same cheese.” They had seen a bloke on Primrose Hill doing sand sculptures of Pam Ferris. Later in the evening Nigel returned to the Hampstead Heath theme. At the top of the hill he had met some Americans who stressed that not all people from The States are brash. This took him on to a story about Nigel’s mate from Birkenhead. He had been on a bus trip to Pompeii and had got talking to some Americans. He told them where he was from. “Birkenhead? What state is that in?” Nigel’s mate surveyed the ruined city and replied “Pretty much like this.”
There was a big cheer at the opening of Renfield’s Afoot. At the end of it, Postman Tony shouted into my ear “It’s the new Vatican Broadside.” (In a similar way, Ipswich Town shirts are becoming the new Dukla Prague, judging by appearances tonight.) Nigel pointed out that Highgate Badminton Club were looking for new members aged over fifty. Always useful to know for next time I’m down that way.
Daz eventually made his way to the front during Paintball’s Coming Home. That song had a line. “They were super excited and super proud (x3) / And they drive round in a lemon-coloured Fiat.” Joy In Leeuwarden was written for Betty Stove. There was a mention of the British Museum in The Bane Of Constance. Following a shout for Chatteris, Nigel replied “Just for you, sir,” before the band played said song. Round of applause to security staff for handing out glasses of water to a hard-working mosh pit. Nigel spotted this happening and noted “They’ve got more water than we have” while suggesting that it could be vodka (no, it wasn’t).
There was a slight vocal faux pas in “Bad Wools”. Nigel sang “…Curry Night were there to play David Gray and David Gray.” As usual Jordan shouted for Our Tune. Nigel replied “We’ll work on it.” Nigel also had to field a request for Sylvia by Focus.
It was good to hear so many songs from No-One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin’ Hedge Cut. This included What Made Colombia Famous. Nigel introduced that one by saying “This Is About Matt Monro and Connie Francis.” There was one celebrity who was spotted in the crowd. “Carol Klein! Did you get the yard decked? You need to use Quicklime! That will get rid of it quicker.” What can he have meant?
Just a thought from me. In National Shite Day, does the line about the Mugabe government seriously date the song these days? In Joy Division Oven Gloves, Nigel pointed roughly towards the Quantocks on the relevant line. And in the reading of London Calling he did the same thing at the appropriate point about living by the river.
Nigel reported that the band had stayed in Watford the night before this gig. Made it easier to get to London, bearing in mind potential traffic problems. He described the route from there to Kentish Town, something about Junction 2 on the A1, but he lost me after that. Squadrophenia was given a brief long-awaited reprise, as we all catch World Cup fever and all that. And there is clearly still some mileage in the I Saw Her Standing There / Where Is My Mind mash-up. Nigel lost his way a little with the words during Everything’s AOR.
Big thanks to Karl for handing over the set list. Here’s how it went from my perspective which is all in line with Karl’s sheet:
Fuckin’ ‘Ell It’s Fred Titmus
Terminus
When The Evening Sun Goes Down
Running Order Squabble Fest
Renfield’s Afoot
A Lilac Harry Quinn
Restless Legs
Look Dad No Tunes
Knobheads On Quiz Shows
Paintball’s Coming Home
Eno Collaboration
Yipps (My Baby Got The)
Joy In Leeuwarden
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
The Bane Of Constance
For What Is Chatteris?
Alehouse Futsal
Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools
What Made Colombia Famous
Fix It So She Dreams Of Me
I Saw Her Standing There / Where Is My Mind?
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train
National Shite Day
We Built This Village On A Trad Arr Tune
Squadrophenia / Vatican Broadside
The Trumpton Riots
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Every Time A Bell Rings
Just the three songs in the encore:
Swerving The Checkatrade
London Calling
Everything’s AOR
And that was that. A very civilised “Have a nice weekend” from Nigel saw everyone on their way. It was difficult not to have a nice weekend after such an uplifting start to it. The greatest band goes from strength to strength. My opinion of the live shows tends to be along the same lines as the recorded work. I find it difficult to say that one gig is in any way better than any other one. But this really was among the best. The place was full. The same goes for the show in Liverpool in September, and I dare say there won’t be a lot of space at the one in Manchester in November. HMHB are in the form of their lives. But each to their own. My mate was in Clitheroe on the same night, watching Showaddywaddy. I’m sure he would say the same about them. But the most telling point was from Postman Tony as we made our way outside. He said that a year ago he was otherwise engaged and unable to get to these shows. Now all is well. Looking forward to meeting up again next time.
10 June 2018
Carrie anne
Many thanks CtSO
It was a fabulous gig, great atmosphere down the front and the new songs sounded fantastic. Lovely to see the usual crowd as ever, but especially nice to meet the new Karl at last.
10 June 2018
James
My first ever HMHB gig. I didn’t know every song, it was bloody hot and the sound at the from was a bit fuzzy but an absolutely brilliant evening.
11 June 2018
Cream cheese and chives
A top evening. Travelled down from Manchester with my daughter and viewed it from halfway back which allowed a fantastic silhouette of the bouncing mosh.Several hundred voices joined together in the questioning chorus of Renfield’s Afoot was fantastically uplifting but all of the new stuff worked brilliantly, especially Terminus.
Guitarist Karl’s abilities would seem to have opened up the whole back catalogue but Neil’s thunderous bass was the aural highlight.
The sound wasn’t perfect, the temperature was enough to leave me looking poached and my knee still has an only limited plane of movement but it was a grand night out.
11 June 2018
dr Desperate
Excellent! I spend the afternoon drinking weak lager in Camden boozers with my own not particulary skinny indie kid, then meet Roger, Karen and Tony outside the venue, in earnest conversation with Nigel and Neil. We give them a big hello. Discussion topics include CBD, Ford Madox Brown, the Terracotta Army and HMHB teatowels before they have to go off for some sort of soundcheck. Proof if proof were needed, Neil confirms that all the lead parts on ‘Fuckin’ Hedge’ are his, as is his amazement that Karl manages to learn them all off the CD within two days.
On to The Pineapple, Biscuiteers in mob-handed. CtSO being present, we conduct a swift Pineapple poll (see what I do there?) which judges it to be a grand pub with not enough staff. Tony the Postman solves the problem by sourcing his Guinness from the shop across the road.
JD Meatyard’s pre-Forum ‘morituri’ nerves are not helped by the discovery that it is the old Town & Country Club, host to both Bowie and The Velvet Underground. We follow him back there, and meet Karl, but not Carl.
A massively excited crowd includes Nigel and Jo from that Hull, Andy and Celia from that South Godstone, Brumbiscuit, Prisoner Tim and a bloke with his 15-year-old daughter. I recall an old NME review by Charles Shaar Murray to the effect that the music you fall in love with when you’re 15 will stay with you all your life, and pass her a triple-A laminate.
JD’s nervousness proves to have been unfounded, as he rocks the joint. There’s the usual Nigel Unplugged moment before he starts walking round his local store, and the rest is history (vide supra).
I’m not in a position to say much about the onstage banter as I’m not in a position to hear much of it, but it seems to go down well. Moshing starts early, builds to a crescendo around ‘Chatteris’ then goes off the scale, triggering an earthquake in Grimsby the following day. Analysing Strava, I discover it to be not only my fortieth HMHB but also my third hottest gig ever (New Order in Manc and The Sonics in Rome, since you ask.)
The crowd is word perfect on all seven songs off the new album, which may go a long way to explain its chart placing. Highlight for me: ETABR.
London Calling: on to Liverpool!
[PS: Thank you to whoever found my camera, and to Showsec for giving out water; no thank you to whoever was giving out beer shampoos.]
11 June 2018
Injured buzzard
The walk on music was ‘Alternatives’ by Alternative TV. 1st track on their 1978 debut LP ‘The Image Has Cracked’
11 June 2018
John Anderson
What a great night. I went along with my wife and daughter and wheelchair-bound mate Paul who’s a fan of the band but had never seen them live before. Enjoyed The Pineapple beforehand (drinks queues notwithstanding) and would have liked to venture in and say hello but it’s not exactly a wheelchair-friendly pub so we had to drink on the pavement. Nice to see Chris briefly though.
At the venue, we stationed ourselves behind the disabled section which worked out really well as it wasn’t as hot as down the front, the sound was better and our eye-line was unobstructed; this was a big bonus for my daughter who’s only 5’2”. We joked to Paul that he was unlikely to stand up in front of us and block our view although he said he was tempted to defy medicine and leap out his chair, such was the majesty of the gig. That would have been quite something, a Lourdes style faithlift created by the restorative powers of HMHB.
I was delighted to hear so many new songs, with Renfield and Every Time set to become staples, and equally pleased the welcome inclusions of Paintball, Yipps and Eno. The short snatch of This Time We’ll Get It Right was well timed (albeit hopelessly over optimistic once more, I fear) and London Calling was inspired.I thought the new guitarist was excellent, it’s just a shame that he didn’t have a sad barnet.
I think it’s about the tenth time I’ve seen them and certainly one of the best. Here’s hoping they’ll be staying in Watford again soon (come on you ‘orns).
11 June 2018
OLLIE THE SQUID’S LONG-SUFFERING GUITAR TECH
Was in the mosh for the entirety. Someone said to me between songs ‘We’re getting too old for this!’ We laughed then got stuck in again. Probably the best natured crowd I’ve ever been in. Was still wringing sweat from my shirt on Sunday, mind…
I copped Carl’s set list (hand written, in biro, so no reason to beware, on the Monday 20th August page from the aforementioned 2001 diary.)
With song titles abbreviated and in mostly upper case (by whoever wrote it out) it read thus:
F. TITMUS
TERMINUS
E. SUN
SQUABBLEFEST
BATWALK
H. QUINN
R. LEGS
LOOK DAD
KNOBHEADS
PAINTBALL
KORFBALL
D. PRAGUE
BANE OF C
CHATTERIS
ALEHOUSE
BAD WOOLS
COLOMBIA
FIX IT
LIGHT TUNNEL
SHITE DAY
VILLAGE
SLIPKNOT
T. RIOTS
JDOG
Every time a bell etc
?
CHECKATRADE
L.C.
AOR
Don’t know what the question mark signified.
All in all, a brilliant night.
11 June 2018
NEIL
? = If we are invited to play an encore.
We never presume…
11 June 2018
Chris The Siteowner
And that, my friends, is why we love the band so.
11 June 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Thanks for the reviews guys. Sounds like it was a really special gig – would have loved to have been there but felt I had to swerve this one. And what was more important than seeing these wonderful new songs performed live for the first time? Only accompanying my 85 year old Mother to Murrayfield to see The Rolling Stones. Her relationship with The Stones predates her relationship with me and this is the first time she’s seen them play live. The themes on this new album reassure me that in this instance I got my priorities right.
In the interests of balance re any perceived anti-southern sentiment expressed herein, I paid £5.20 per can of Magners/Tennants at Murrayfield (FFS!!) although I guess this is more of a Stadium issue than a geographical one.
Roll on Liverpool!
11 June 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
How many Tennants and Magners did mum have, Lou?
11 June 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Sensibly, she stayed on the hot-chocolate while I frittered Scottish notes away on Magners.
11 June 2018
jeff dreadnought
Nice to see some affection for Offal in Roger Green’s marvelous review. Judging by comments in one or two other reviews and posts, quite a few people see Fuckin’ Hedge as a “return to form” after the “disappointing” previous album.
Fair enough (or not), but personally, I had Offal down as maybe the best of the lot until Creative Hub came along – five or six of the songs went straight into my ever-changing all-time top ten, with No-one Cares it’s more like seven or eight.
All highly subjective of course but I think HMHB just keep consistently getting better and better – not sure how many other bands you could say that about.
Maybe one day we’ll have that full-blown album (or “Camps of Hope”) tournament to see what others think.
12 June 2018
hendrix-tattoo
How was the Stones concert Phyllis?
I wanted to see them at Old Trafford last week, ticket prices starting from 150 Quid soon put a stop to that….
12 June 2018
Cream cheese and chives
‘So what were you doing in London?’ asked the physio as he tried to bring sensation back to my knee and we struggled to fill the silences with small talk.
‘I went to see Half Man Half Biscuit,’ I replied.
‘Right. Is that a show or a musical?’
Caught off guard, I don’t think I really did the boys justice.
12 June 2018
EXXO
Yes, Jeff, I’d go with “getting better and better at doing what they want to do”, so whether you like a particular album more recently will depend on whether you like the kind of product that they are aiming at, rather than how well they are doing it. ‘Offal’ was the most ambitious album in some ways, with more attempts at doing various different things musically, and covering a wider range of themes, and I liked that. This album is more immediate and more accessible, and I suspect that those who say “the best since AB” are those who are fondest of “is your child hyperactive, or is he perhaps a twat?” type memorability of sweary, swingeing one-liners. This is certainly the first HMHB album that is so accessible and tuneful and homogenously rocky that after 15 listens I can basically sing the entire album, in order, and remember most of the solos too. I’m not sure I’ve done that with any album sine ‘the Wall’. You can see why it’s sold well, so it follows that more people would say it was ‘better’. I would dread any popularity contest between albums as we might as well just ask Geoff for the sales figures*
* I hope this would not be like quizzing JM in the cash office 😉
12 June 2018
Phyllis Triggs
The Stones were brilliant Tony. We were on the wheelchair terrace (good seats as it turned out). £142 for the pair of us – carer gets in free.
12 June 2018
hendrix-tattoo
That’s good to hear Lou, sounds like you and your Mum had a great time….
12 June 2018
Royjo
1st time biscuit gig for me, my son, and two good mates. Apart from sweating like a glassblowers arse it was fabulous. Pogoing to NSD with my son is a memorable one I will keep. Superb gig.
17 June 2018
careful with that spliff, eugene
An account of the gig can be found in my blog on 2blokeswalkintoapub.blogspot.co.uk
16 August 2018
Spork abuser
@thirdrateles
It was a cracking mosh, which I am honoured to have co-started. It was worth the eventual destruction of my glasses, which were a bit Timmy Mallet in any case
18 January 2019
Phyllis Triggs
Reckon Specsavers should be sponsoring the moshpits!
18 January 2019
hendrix-tattoo
I broke my specs Lou in the Mosh at the Ritz….
18 January 2019
Phyllis Triggs
Yup, and Thorsten’s got broke at Leeds…
18 January 2019
gipton teenager
@ H-T & PT- That’s why I wear contact lenses to gigs. Also I’ve got a good story about the Stones in Leeds- tell you when next we meet…
19 January 2019