New year, another Bilston gig. Almost like clockwork. And we wouldn’t want it any other way. With some new material apparently in the works, would we see and hear something new on the setlist? Oh, the anticipation. Over to you…
New year, another Bilston gig. Almost like clockwork. And we wouldn’t want it any other way. With some new material apparently in the works, would we see and hear something new on the setlist? Oh, the anticipation. Over to you…
Bobby svarc
Be safe on the way home, horrendous conditions.
8 February 2018
Chris The Siteowner
Wow. Really enjoyed that. Apparently the new team member – who we shall call “Karl” because that’s what he was insisting his name is – allows the band to play some different material, and we certainly got it. So if you’ve been waiting all these years to hear “Iceland” or “Emerging From Gorse”, this was the gig to be at. At any other gig, “Joyce”, “Bubblewrap” and “Problem Chimp” might have been the surprises. Not here. Full setlist will, I’m sure, be coming up in the next few posts.
I thought the band were in exceptionally good humour throughout the night. Lovely to have a chat with both Neil and Nigel afterwards – I’d always previously made a point of not doing so on a “never meet your heroes” basis, but the whole evening was so friendly it would have been rude not to. They were, of course, charming.
(And the new album is only a few weeks away…)
9 February 2018
Twistedkitemike
Hello Bilston, my old friend. I like the Robin 2, it’s a really good venue and as usual, an excellent performance from the chaps.
The set-list is indeed here, and a fine and diverse offering it was to an expectant and grateful congregation.
Hornbeam
Bad Losers
Lilac HQ
Squabblefest
Vitas G
27 Yards
Bike’s Kept Clean
Bob Wilson
Something’s Rotten.. Iceland
Bad Wools
Joyce
Gwatkin
Dean F (he wasn’t there)
Hi Viz
Emerging From Gorse
Problem Chimp
Bubblewrap
Chatteris
AOR
Evening Sun
NSD
Bane
JDOG
…………………………..
Restless Legs
Slipknot
Something Better Change (Stranglers cover)
Light Tunnel
Thoroughly enjoyable. Good to see lots of friendly faces, regulars and returnees. Roll on Leamington, new material and more gig announcements!
Mike…………………..
9 February 2018
The harbinger of nothing
Bloody hell! Back of Iceland and Gwatkin. And I couldn’t go!
You might not be able to get Teenage Eskimo in Wantage, but for one night only, you could in Bilston. Who’da thunk it.
With the new album so close (great news!), I’m surprised that no new material was unveiled. Maybe the gig wasn’t secret enough.
9 February 2018
GORDON BURNS
Great to hear King of Hi-Vis (again), but Nigel really needs to learn the lyrics If it’s to become a staple. I thought I heard Nigel call the far-guitarist “Gary” at one point, not “Karl”. Some amusing cock-ups with the equipment: a mic-stand with a mind of its own; surround-sound monitors; both Nigel and Neil barking orders at the sound man. They could do with their own sound man.
Support chap The Humdrum Express was excellent.
Neither Gary nor Karl, we eventually found out. They need to get their story together. Should we say Karl is his stage name? – CtSO 🙂
9 February 2018
Cream cheese and chives
A grand evening. Sound down near the front was murky but atmosphere made up for it. Delighted to hear Problem Chimp and good to hear Nigel ‘s Hugh Cornwell impression.Something better chiynge.. Great venue and the band seemed very relaxed. I trust they enjoyed Sandbach services on the way home.
Stumbled into The White Rose before the show. Enjoyed the large numbers of small children in there who seemed to be attending some sort of after school club.
9 February 2018
One of Cromwell’s troops
First time live for me at Bilston. Great night, absolute joy to sing along and cool facts about Roberto Alfonso Farrell and Rasputin to boot.
9 February 2018
Carrie anne
Players of the ‘dead or alive’ game will be interested to know that Michael Rodd is alive.
9 February 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Fantastic concert.
Fantastic people I was with.
Fantastic curry.
Fantastic Lager.
Fantastic tram journey.
Fantastic to see Ron again.
Fantastic I get to keep him till the next concert.
Fantastic news about the new album.
Fantastic.
9 February 2018
nigemole
Great Night. The sound was pretty good for The Robin (2)!
Sandbach Services – avoid and take the A500/A34 loop.
Spot on with The Stranglers cover.
9 February 2018
Brumbiscuit
I’ll echo Tony’s comments above. Great night.
Those of you able to grab the Robin2’s brochure of gigs will have a field day in looking for Biscuit references: Judy Tzuke & Dean Friedman being two that jump out. I think the Black Country Beatles might be stretching it a little, however.
Those of you heading to Leamington could do worse that heading for the Oriental Star Chinese buffet at the top of The Parade. The Jug & Jester is no longer a ‘Spoonies, but is the Rose & Crown. Not really, it’s The Old Library. Missable.
9 February 2018
dr desperate
Back to Bilston then, with a new Stratmaster in the band and another new album in the offing. Jivan’s once again provided excellent balti, and despite overshooting the mark tram-wise on the way back we arrived in good time for The Humdrum Express’s set. Blackwellesque songs, Braggadocious guitar, what’s not to like? I was slightly disappointed that he didn’t do ‘E-petition’, but that zombie facepaint is a bugger to take off.
The walk-on music was one of those jaunty sitcom-theme affairs that Nigel had to knock on the head after a few minutes – I didn’t catch the title but apparently it could have gone on for hours. On the other hand, this might have given him time to sort out his mikestand and monitor, the former’s array of knobs proving baffling even with the advice of Martin the Mechanical Engineer on the front row. (Wizard Tony renamed him Mike Stand to general amusement, and Nigel said it was good to have the help of someone with letters after their name, even if they were only ME.) The monitor was more of a problem, and even after dragging Neil’s wedge over he was unable to hear himself sing.
“It’s OK, you know the words better than I do”, he admitted after the show.
The setlist was as above, with ‘AOR’ and ‘Chatteris’ changing places, ‘Trad Arr Tune’ dropped and ‘Slipknot’ added to the handwritten version.
Despite Nigel’s previously-stated reluctance to include the more chatty numbers for fear that they might induce the audience to react similarly, both ‘Gwatkin’ and ‘Gorse’ were triumphs, as were the rarely-spotted ‘Joyce, ’27 Yards’ and ‘See That My Bike’. Declaring an interest, I will pass no comment on the inclusion of ‘Bubble Wrap’ and ‘KoH-V’, save to say that if they’d also played ‘Black Satin Tour Jacket’ I would have fanted dead away.
Banter was restricted early on, but soon resolved into the usual blether about A-roads, motorway closures and which celebrities are still dead. James Dean is, but would have been 87 yesterday if he weren’t; Magnus Pyke died unnoticed by Nigel in 1992, and Cyril Fletcher in 2005 – that’s life. Bobby ‘Boney M’ Farrell died in St Petersburg on 30th December 2010, the same place and date as (but 94 years after) Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. On the positive side, Michael Rodd is still with us. Nigel’s response to a call from the crowd misidentifying the ‘Screen Test’ presenter as a porn star, “That didn’t go down very well” was met with the reply, “Yeah, but he did”.
Spotted in the audience: Clive Swift (again). He was apparently wasted in ‘Keeping Up Appearances’, much more successful in the BBC’s 1971/72 adaptations of MR James’ ‘Ghost Stories for Christmas’.
Thwarted ski-lodge owner: Monica Lewinsky.
Cover: ‘Something Better Change’. Calls for Fall songs had to be rejected as the Stranglers’ number had already been chosen before MES died and was, ironically, immutable. They did fit in a few snippets, including a bit from ‘Fiery Jack’ which laid bare its influence on ‘Quality Janitor’.
Several people told me during and after the show how much they’d enjoyed the contributions of ‘Karl’, and I have to agree. It’s a shame about Ken, but as his namesake Tony wrote, things seemed to go wrong too many times.
Thanks to the other Tony for his CD of morris tunes (including ‘Roger Green’), and to the other other Tony for the loan of Ron Seal.
On to Royal Leamington Spa!
9 February 2018
Cygnus
@ Hendrix Tattoo; fantastic to meet you (and Ron) albeit briefly. I echo others thoughts about it being a great night, the atmosphere was the best I’ve experienced for a while. (seemed to be a bigger crowd in also which helps) Don’t think I’ve heard Chimp live before so that was a bonus, sadly no Look Dad but you can’t have everything. Slightly bemused (as Harbinger comments) that they didn’t unveil any new material if the album is close to release date; is the Bat Walk thing the only ‘new’ song that they’ve played in fairly recent times? On to Leamington, can’t wait.
9 February 2018
Injured buzzard
After a 3 1/2 hour train journey from Dumfries, booked into the Premier Inn at the station and relaxed watching Countdown, at the adverts my mind was instantly guided to the lyrics from ’emerging from gorse’. Met up with Dougie & Martin for a pre-curry pint before joining the crew upstairs at Jivans for a great meal and banter (and some very dodgy jokes…). The following Tram journey involved a saga involving group tickets before missing the stop as the 0.3 second window in which to press the Open button was not met. Onward to Loxdale..and back. After a Hi-Viz photo op. for The Dr. and a quick drink it was on to the show. Unfortunately missed the 1st half of The Humdrum Express but thoroughly enjoyed what I heard. Met up with Jay before the band came on and after a few comical mic-stand moments they burst into Stuck up a hornbeam. A few missed notes..and lyrics aside it was a great show. Banter from Nigel was excellent. “Tip for the 3.30 at Lingfield tomorrow. Dusty Carpet. Never been beaten.” 🙂 Great encore and now it’s on to Leamington Spa In April. See you there.
9 February 2018
Transit Full Of Keith
Lovely lovely gig with a fantastic atmosphere, and first in Bilston. A few random recollections:
1. Startled by the sudden apparition of Mr. Neil Crossley in a pub called the Old White Rose (cutting it fine before curtain up too). Everyone in pub studiously pretended not to notice.
2. The Humdrum Express (a little bit Bragg, a little bit Biscuit) with observations on “double edged swords” – for example, “being asked to appear on to Later with Jools … only you have to let him join in”.
3. Unexpected songs: Ode to Joyce! Problem Chimp! Unfortunate Gwatkin! I had waited long for this, but even more so …
4. Emerging from Gorse! With some changed lyrics (involving a Karl and a Gary) and a surprisingly vehement “fuck youse” in response to the sisterly chant of “Shit Band No Fans”.
4. Sound problems: collapsing mic stands; Neil and “Karl”‘s vocals at some points louder than Nigel’s; endless problems with the “monitors”; lengthy bit of improvised comedy rearranging the monitors; superbly sarcastic delivery of “Sound man, sound man, we’ve got our own sound man” and sign off to the mixing desk of “I’ll speak to you later”. None of the sound problems lowered the enjoyment level though.
5. Introduced myself to (a cheerful) Geoff Davies to thank him for resolving a “Back in the DHSS” / “Back Again in the DHSS” postal mix up a few weeks ago; and on asking whether the new material is an EP or an album, hearing it’s an album, is finished, and could even be released in not much longer than “4 weeks”.
6. Met Chris of this parish, albeit briefly, and expressed, albeit incoherently, my appreciation of this site.
7. Rasputin / St Petersburg references (NB would not have known there was a St Petersburger in the audience, but there was, and this attempt to cultivate the international fanbase went down well).
8. A timely Fall tribute, in response to an audience request, before “National Shite Day” including a few bars of Fiery Jack and a few of How I Wrote Elastic Man. NB asked the requester if s/he’d missed the tribute sneaked in earlier – though I’m not sure what this was (unless he meant all the faffing with mic stands and amplifiers …?)
A couple of regrets (not managing to meet up with someone on Thursday, & not extending the trip to go up the Stiperstones on Friday) but none whatsoever about the gig and well worth using two days of annual leave for. Faith in humanity restored.
9 February 2018
Guest informant
The Fall tribute snuck in earlier was a couple of bars of Spectre vs Rector before… I forget what it came before…
9 February 2018
ALLTHEGOODNAMESAREGONE
Here’s what someone thought of it.
http://thebirminghampress.com/2018/02/and-thats-a-bad-review/
10 February 2018
transit full of keith
It’s only just hit me that both Trumpton Riots and Dukla Prague Away Kit were left on the bench on Thursday. Has that ever happened before?
10 February 2018
Andy Harvey
In true pedant mode; it’s the ‘Olde White Rose’…
10 February 2018
dr desperate
Tony’s Teaser for the night was “Who was the Tannoy announcer when Roger Bannister ran the first 4-minute mile?” Nigel tried the delaying tactic of querying whether it was an actual Tannoy as opposed to a generic PA system, then reminisced about inserting “Christopher” into the theme song of a long-forgotten TV show called ‘Chat Away’. In the end he had to admit he didn’t know the answer (Norris McWhirter).
In response to my description of Bob Wilson as “the boy Primrose” he posed the riddle “What was Rupert Bear’s middle name?” I countered with “The same as Atilla The Hun’s”, but he trumped this with the announcement that it was Atilla’s birthday, which couldn’t be disproved.
10 February 2018
Chris The Siteowner
As many of us thought, this really was a gig for the rare songs connoisseur.
Let’s start with the “Big 12” songs, those which have been played in 70% or more of the gigs since 2000 (or 70% of the gigs since they were released). We nearly always get 10 to 12 of these, and you have to go back three years for the last time fewer than that were played; but at Bilston we got just 7 (NSD, Chatteris, JDOG, Tunnel, Bob Wilson, AOR and Vatican Broadside). No Trad Arr Tune, no DPAK, no Look Dad, no Fred Titmus and no Trumpton.
At the other extreme, there are 94 songs which have been played in fewer than 5% of the gigs since 2000 (or 5% of the gigs since they were released). We nearly always get 0, 1 or 2 of these in a gig, the exception being Holmfirth last September, when there were 3. At Bilston? An incredible 5 – we’ve not had that many rarities in a gig “since records began” (well, since 2000). Drum roll please for Iceland (0 previous plays), See That My Bike (2), Gorse (3), Bubblewrap (3) and Hi-Vis (3).
Gorse was last played in Derby, over 12 years ago.
10 February 2018
EXXO
Top post-match analysis of the facts there Chris.
Meanwhile the following would need a very credible source indeed, given that it seems out-of-character with all we know about the band.
10 February 2018
hendrix-tattoo
A young Journo who get their stories from social media like the rest of them do.
He didn’t know who The Stranglers were and he stole the Y.T clip from our very own Injured Buzzard..
10 February 2018
Brumbiscuit
My guitar player analytical skills are limited, so I’ll have to take it at face value that TGWAN (the guitarist without a name) is a better axe man than Ken, which seemed to be the overall verdict.
Anyway, if it means that Prag Vec at the Melkveg* gets an airing, I for one, will lament Ken’s departure, but applaud the arrival of TGWAN.
* I believe earlier analysis revealed that PV@TM had never been played live, but I was of the opinion that I had heard it once. That may, however, have been imagined and/or been the result of my state of intoxication.
10 February 2018
EXXO
Can somebody please explain the precise reasons why Karl’s name is disputed? Mr. B. has personally told me he is Karl, originally from Pensby but now living in Bert Trautmann territory.
10 February 2018
Chris The Siteowner
‘cos he isn’t, that’s why.
10 February 2018
EXXO
So people keep saying. But please explain, rather than just saying it.
10 February 2018
Chris The Siteowner
If the band want to reveal all, I guess they will. Until then, we’ll just have to speculate. Looks like “Karl” is just a stage name, that’s all.
10 February 2018
Motair ceann
Epic gig. Excellent set. Wolverhampton….wow. What can you say. Who knew it had so much to offer. And when you exhaust those possibilities you make it to bilston. Our only regret is that anvil weren’t playing till the 20th. Highlight of the night had to be the boney m wee chat mentioning Belfast. Made the 7 buses, 2 ferries and 7 trains well worth it. If only they’d play here it would save me half my pension fund. Never mind. Best venue since the ritz.
10 February 2018
EXXO
OK, I’m much relieved that there is no mystery to the mystery (the speaking in riddles aspect of it had been making me feel extra frustrated that I failed a very late fitness test to travel meet up with the squad in Bilston on Thursday). It does seem that Karl is the name the band want us to use, as they did when he stood in at two gigs in 2007, and if it’s a stage name well that’s fairly normal.
11 February 2018
One of Cromwell’s troops
My mate, Big J, and I went to our first gig together for our 20th birthdays and saw the Stranglers in Gloucester. Our second gig together for our 50ths was Bilston. Something better change was played both times. For our 80ths we are hoping to see the Stranglers cover Chatteris. I mention this by way of nothing.
11 February 2018
warden hodges
Seems only right to see Stranglers in my only black Biccy t-shirt. (Motorway sign).
11 February 2018
Steffo
Thanks for all the reviews, great for someone who couldn’t make it. As (hopefully) a mate of Humdrum Express tis heartwarming to read all the positivity. He’s a top fellow.
Love all the stats, my thoughts are that the band don’t rate Godcore as they hardly ever do anything off it. Am I right or wrong. I mentioned this to Geoff ages ago & he seem surprised by my assertion.
I would contest that Godcore is the least represented album live, any thoughts/stats? Cheers, hope to be at Leam Spa
11 February 2018
Midlands Rocks
Another review.
11 February 2018
NOT ROGER, CARRIE ANNE OR ROBIN 2
Roger Green: always essential, often definitive. Robbed off Gez’s site.
Robin 2, Bilston, Thu 8th February 2018 (10/02/18)
One thing to add to the Hull review. Congratulations to Jo for a magnificent t-shirt. “Come to Hull: It’s not shit anymore.” So that’s that cleared up.
2018 was already in full swing for us regarding gig attendance. Our friends Shatner are, like HMHB taking their time over the production and release of their next CD. We saw them in front of, let’s see, tens of people on the first weekend of the new year. It was quite different with the Halle Orchestra packing out Leeds Town Hall. Top view from the cheap seats. And the week before HMHB made their first appearance of the year, we were at The Leadmill in Sheffield to see The Wedding Present. Great to see Nigel and Jo there, but sad to be told that they weren’t making it to Bilston. And we were also aware of the presence of the mighty Rotherham Postie. “I love you, Mr Gedge!” was his cry at this event, rather than “What did God give us, Neil?” to which we are more accustomed.
Santa was good to me. A Bullseye game and the latest Sparks CD among other gifts. But l was also well pleased to unwrap a copy of Peter Ross’s collection of stories, The Passion Of Harry Bingo. Here is a tremendous piece of work. Hey, I’m biased of course. One of the stories is the Big Issue article that Peter wrote when he came to the HMHB gig in Holmfirth in 2016. “The Biscuiteers” is in among happy, sad and tragic tales. There are many pearls of wisdom in there, for example “The best shoehorns are from Ikea.” All life is in there. Read this book and you will be a better person for it.
A few words, if I may, about Mark E Smith, as it has a bearing on my appreciation of HMHB. “Not everybody’s cup of tea” as I have been told. A lot of my favourite music ever was made by The Fall in the first half of the 1980s. My travelling in their slipstream never quite reached the lengths that I achieve with HMHB. But if my head had not been turned in the middle of that decade, then it is likely that I would have continued to follow them hither and thither. Of course I still dipped in every now and again. At Fibbers in York in 2014 there was a memorable virtuoso performance from the man. Their third to last gig was in Wakefield. Seeing MES being wheeled off stage was also memorable in a different way. That was me and him saying our farewells. He was my cup of tea, and the world’s a worse place. I wasn’t surprised to hear about the punch-up at his wake. It’s what he would have wanted.
I took the train to Birmingham. A fellow passenger spotted my Urge For Offal t-shirt and commented “Half Man Half Biscuit! A great Geordie band!” Of course I could be wrong, as I haven’t heard that one before, but I begged to differ. I met Karen at New Street station, from where we got the tram to Bilston. Straight after arriving, we saw Jay with his early contender for t-shirt of the day, a Humdrum Express number. Like us, he had a room at The Robin’s hotel, next door to the venue. After checking in, we went for our usual nourishment at The Major chip shop, pausing only to listen to an extraordinary karaoke version of Something Inside So Strong, coming out of The Horse And Jockey. At three o’clock on a Thursday afternoon. That was a good effort.
Press review. Karen leafed through The Express And Star (“Britain’s best-selling regional newspaper”). No mention of the HMHB show but there was a fair feature on a sell-out gig by The Wurzels at Harper Adam’s University. Didn’t realise they were still ploughing the furrow, but maybe their fans think the same about HMHB.
The Robin 2’s Club Magazine And Gig Guide didn’t tell us anything that hasn’t been said before. “Famed for making ill-tempered music with a social conscience, Birkenhead band Half Man Half Biscuit, formed in the early eighties, ‘merely as a way of getting through the day’. Quickly picked up by the angst-ridden youth of the eighties, their punk-driven, lyrical rants and protests against all things celebrity and fake, became the unofficial anthems of the underground.”
We were slugging tea when John knocked on our door to say they were heading into Wolverhampton for a curry. Another time, perhaps. Countdown was on. We were engrossed, along with all the retired liberals.
The band had arrived at the venue and were setting up on stage when I saw Geoff and Miles pull up outside. I gave them a hand with carting the merch inside, and was able to catch the sound check. There was evidently a lack of anything coming through Nigel’s monitors. This was something that would re-surface during the gig. The band tested everything out with A Lilac Harry Quinn, When The Evening Sun Goes Down and King Of Hi Vis, as well as a fair blast of The Fall’s Fiery Jack. This gave a hint about a possible cover version. But this was quashed later by Nigel, who said that a Fall cover would be “too obvious”. I got the lowdown from the rest of the band on recent developments and future developments. There’s a new album on the way. Geoff said it could be about a month away, but perhaps it’s best just to expect it when you see it. There’s also a few more live shows being arranged for later in the year.
A loosely constructed queue formed ahead of the doors opening at 7.30. Many of the usual faces started to show. Jay re-surfaced, and Tony, Andrew, John, Mike, Jordan and Emily also showed. We took a brief look at the guest list. I hope Mr and Mrs Pommer enjoyed the show – perhaps a Thank You for using his tune for the HMHB walk-on music.
The support act, not for the first time at this venue, was The Humdrum Express. “Bilston. So much to answer for,” he announced. Some people call him Ian. A bloke with a guitar and some quirky songs. A Godin guitar as it turns out. “You don’t see a lot of those,” as Tony pointed out to me. In Double Edged Swords he says “It’s like being offered a slot on Later With Jools, as long as you let him join in.” There was also a Blackwellesque observation: “I once got heckled by a bloke who looked like Ike Godsey out of The Waltons. He was livid.” I was ready to buy a Humdrum Express t-shirt, but, same old story, he didn’t have any in my colossal XXXL size. You can’t have everything, but we did have an excellent set…
Botox Lunch Break
Back In The Day
Lookalike Bond
The Day My Career Died
End Of Part One
Copy Cats
Leopard Print Onesie
Double Edged Swords
I exchanged nods with Pete, had a chat with Graham and his HMHB debutant mate Danny (who said he would be back at some point), and also talked with fellow Yorkist Peter. Postman Tony also tapped me on the shoulder. There was a spectacularly late entrance from Howie, Gomez and Daz – but better spectacularly late than spectacularly never. Great also to see Ron Seal at the gig, making one of his customary aerial stage invasions.
HMHB walked on stage to Georg Pommer’s Penny Pennies. When the band was ready to start, Nigel said “Turn it off now. It goes on for ages.” Maybe he should have let it continue, as Nigel was immediately faced with problems with his mike stand. Aided by Martin the Mechanical Engineer (“Have you got initials after your name? ME?”), who was standing at the front, this was solved soon enough, although Nigel had to hold the mike and stop playing guitar for much of Stuck Up A Hornbeam.
After just two songs, Nigel made his first request for more vocals in the monitor. Neil asked for “the far guitar” (meaning Karl’s) to come through his monitor. Nigel homed in on “The Far Guitar” and wondered aloud about a band with that name supporting The Triffids. “I’m a bit like Crisp or L’Escargot tonight. I’m a little ho(a)rse,” he added. Even so, he was happy to tell us “something for nothing” about Boney M. Frank Farian was one of the vocalists with the group when they did their recordings including Rasputin, but it was Bobby Farrell who appeared on TV and in their videos. Farrell died in 2010, in St Petersburg on 30th December. “And guess who else died in St Petersburg on 30th December?” That would be Rasputin, in 1916. “I hope no one does that Twilight Zone thing,” Nigel said, “otherwise I will have them ejected.”
On the day of this gig, it would have been James Dean’s 87th birthday, and apparently it would also have been Bob Marley’s birthday. Nigel didn’t seem so sure about marking birthdays of folk who were no longer around. “What about Methuselah?” he asked out loud. Nancy Kominsky may have been the guest star in Vitas Gerulaitis. She was after the ski lodge.
A birthday card was thrown onto stage. Neil picked it up and handed it to Nigel. On seeing that there was a very rude word on the front (“Happy Birthday, You Big Cunt”), Nigel decided that it was actually meant for Neil, and handed it back. The guy from the crowd then shouted that he wanted it back, and so the full circle was completed.
There was some discussion about middle names after a shout of “Primrose” following Bob Wilson Anchor Man. What is Rupert The Bear’s middle name? What is Atilla The Hun’s middle name? That kind of thing.
Nigel was on the ball when Tony asked him who was on the tannoy when Roger Bannister broke the record for running a mile. “How do you know it was a tannoy, and not just a PA system? ‘Tannoy’ is a trademark.” On the subject of middle-distance runners from the 1950s, there used to be an advert that made Nigel go “Chattaway, Chattaway, Chris Chattaway.” I’m culturally out of touch. Nigel is light years ahead of me on that one.
More problems with the monitors. Nigel shuffled them around so that they were all in an arc in front of him, and he also moved a little to his right, so that he could hear out of Karl’s. “I can hear it now,” he commented, “but it’s ruining my stagecraft.”
Bridgedale was described as a “vicious, vicious bastard” in the course of The Unfortunate Gwatkin. During a discussion about their route to the gig, Nigel pointed out that the band had never been to Knutsford Services. “But we might go there on the way back.” The band’s route earlier in the day had avoided the M6 (“the oxymoronic smart motorway”). I heard mention of the M53, the A55, the A5 and the A483, but you would have to know the route in order to put it in some kind of order. Nigel commented that people always think it will be quicker going back on the M6, “but that’s when you get all the roadworks.”
He also mentioned going to see his mate Sid in Kingstanding. “Everybody thinks it’s a dump, but he says it’s heaven on earth.” Nigel told us about Sid falling victim to ID theft. So now he is just called “S”.
There was a shout of “Morning Ma’am, I’ve come to read your gas meter.” Nigel replied, “You can’t do that at our house. The meter is on the outside.” And to a request for Jarg Armani, Nigel’s reply was the usual “Yeah, that’s one of ours.” There was a top tip from Nigel during Emerging From Gorse, “2.30 Lingfield tomorrow. Dusty Carpet. Never been beaten.”
Clive Swift was spotted in the crowd by Nigel. “He was wasted in Keeping Up Appearances. He was much better in that MR James series.” Nigel invited us all to join in on Joy Division Oven Gloves. “There’s a lot of shouting on this.”
When the band emerged for the encore, Nigel was asked why he brought a plastic glass onto stage with him, but he was drinking his water out of a bottle. Nigel explained that he had been drinking tea out of the glass when they walked out at the start of the gig. But he added, “Well spotted, you should have been on Screen Test.” Which in turn led him to ponder whether or not presenter Michael Rodd is still alive (checked afterwards – yes he is, as at the day after this gig, 9 February 2018). Nigel also reflected on how he had missed the death of Magnus Pyke. Must have been a busy news day. (And by the way, Andrew nudged me to tell me that his mate had been on Screen Test back in the day. He was on the winning team.)
It was goodbye and hello to Graham. Like us, he was heading to Leeds the day after this gig, to catch The Lovely Eggs in action. Didn’t see him there though.
Nice cover of The Stranglers. Carl very kindly handed me his set list. Just a couple of amendments to the actual running order. “Village” was in the original plan, but did not appear. And Vatican Broadside looks like it was a last-minute addition.
The band played these:
Stuck Up A Hornbeam
Bad Losers On Yahoo Chess
A Lilac Harry Quinn
Running Order Squabble Fest
Outbreak Of Vitas Gerulaitis
Twenty-Seven Yards Of Dental Floss
See That My Bike’s Kept Clean
Bob Wilson Anchor Man
Something’s Rotten At The Back Of Iceland
Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools
Ode To Joyce
The Unfortunate Gwatkin
The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman
King Of Hi Vis
Emerging From Gorse
Took Problem Chimp To Ideal Home Show
Give Us Bubblewrap
For What Is Chatteris?
Everything’s AOR
When The Evening Sun Goes Down
National Shite Day
Bane Of Constance
Joy Division Oven Gloves
And in the encore:
Restless Legs
Vatican Broadside
Something Better Change
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train
There was something else missing tonight. We realised afterwards that Dukla Prague had not been played. If I could be arsed, I would look back and check for the last time that happened. But I can’t be arsed, so you will have to check yourselves. See also: Trumpton Riots. I also have it in my mind that this was my 150th HMHB show. One day I’ll consult with my mate Mark who was at a lot of the early ones with me, so that I can come up with a definitive list. We may or may not see the new CD at or before the Leamington Spa. That’s as much as I know.
11 February 2018
‘Karl’
Hello everyone… I’ve just been alerted to the recent discussion hereabouts and thought perhaps I’d best clarify things a little.
Your correspondent ‘Exxo’ is correct – my given name IS Karl and I did indeed grow up in Pensby (after a formative couple of years in Claughton). The confusion has doubtless arisen due to my involvement with another band over the last 20 or so years… at that time a couple of us found ourselves ‘back in the DHSS’, as it were, and thought it’d be a wizard wheeze to give ourselves daft noms de plume to avoid alerting the authorities. I chose one combining a nickname I’d acquired some years previously with a dreadful pun of a surname to accompany it. To our amusement and indeed horror the names stuck, as a result of which many people know me solely by that name, and so I use it for that band and for some online things. My family, my friends and everyone who knows me on the Oblong of Dreams calls me by my actual name though, which is Karl. Not Gary (where DID that come from?!?) or anything else… full name Karl Benson.
Honest.
Thanks for your kind comments, by the way… very much appreciated.
12 February 2018
Chris The Siteowner
Thanks for that, Karl! I shall never roll my eyes at teams having daily press conferences again. At least they help prevent people getting completely confused, like wot some of us clearly were here. Added to news page.
12 February 2018
Bobby svarc
Jesus wept, has following the Biscuits ever been so exciting? I’m sharpening up my modeling tools as we speak and in readiness to insert a Karl into the Bilston model. Ken? Ken who.
12 February 2018
Irish Niall
Hi Karl, hope you enjoyed your first gig and here’s to many more of them. Now to check your fretwork homework can I ask you to confirm please the scratchy chord(s) used in the links during ‘Restless Legs’ (ie -just before “Milky Drink…” and “Four-O-Six…”).
Asking for a friend. 🙂
12 February 2018
dr desperate
It is just as we suspected, though precisely the other way round.
(There’s obviously a long history of musicians adopting stage names for security reasons – social security reasons.)
12 February 2018
Charles Exford
(Charles then writes some amusing stuff about Scooby Doo which I’ve moved here – CtSO)
12 February 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
The Lewinsky/Kaplinsky thing was a sort of quote or citation from two other posts in this thread, Chris (Roger vs. the Doc, assuming the latter was correct about the name in ‘Virginia Wade’). Enjoying the two parallel identity confusions and the idea that Karl would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kids, I put it all in the one blockquote. But never mind.
(Sorry if I mucked up all your good intentions – I just enjoyed the Scooby Doo comments so much I thought they’d be better off on a more appropriate page, where they’d be seen again in the future; these gig reviews get a lot of people reading them for a week or so, then are rarely viewed much again. I didn’t want your research to be lost – CtSO)
12 February 2018
BOBBYSVARC
So, our newish axe man models in 00 Gauge.
12 February 2018
CArrie anne
Roger and myself independently thought we heard Nancy Kominsky, she who paints, so he went with that. Happy to be proved wrong though if any footage exists.
13 February 2018
dr desperate
I’m sure you’re right, Roger/Carrie. She was married to PG Wodehouse’s nephew, you know.
13 February 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
Ha. Precisely as I thought, except the other way round. Thanks for clarification, Karen. Kominsky of course married PG Wodehouse’s nephew and commuted from Rome to Bristol to make the very, very cheap TV that was ‘Paint Along with Nancy’.
[I’ve often heard my trainee English teachers tell their students to “listen to this clip in pairs and answer the questions”. Roger and Karen provide them with a better example of the recommended methodology]
You need to take a pen & paper Doc.
13 February 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
Oops posted simultaneously with the Doc.
13 February 2018
Joan Varc
As the Stranglers and the Wurzels have both been mentioned so far, I feel emboldened to give a very large thumbs up for the Wurzels’ version of Golden Brown. Very very good and I’ll give it five. It’s claimed they share a manager so the Stranglers’ version of Chatteris is a forgone if I know my showbiz….
On a more melancholic note, I was at the Robin on the Tuesday to see Grateful Live Dead 69: not only where they supernaturally brilliant, but I noticed how young I looked in the small crowd. Two days later I thought looked much older than all of you fresh-faced Biscuit people. Thinking too much about Cyrille Regis and Mark Smith isn’t good for you….
14 February 2018
Brumbiscuit
I saw The Wurzels at he Leamington Assembly a couple of years ago. Time has not been kind to the drummer. The gig was in two sets, and he appeared with an oxygen mask for the second set. Makes Jet Black look positively blooming with health.
14 February 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
I learn a great deal from Roger’s reviews. Who knew that agricultural college where the Wurzels played (the name of which I’ve already forgotten again) now had university status? Or that (according to their Wikipedia) they’ve had more principles than principals?
14 February 2018
hendrix-tattoo
‘Morning Ma’am Iv’e come to read your Gasmeter’
I wonder who said that? Thanks Automorph for this clip. Nice shot’s of Ron and the QOQW at 2:17…
https://youtu.be/GrW9xNT2Ab0
17 February 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Shouted…
17 February 2018
dr desperate
Nice one Automorph. (No spoilers as to his true identity, but he was wearing Ultimate pyjamas that night.)
17 February 2018
Chris ‘Spudgun’ Heskey
Welcome to the madness Karl.
Thoroughly enjoyed the gig, at the Robin 2.
Looking forward to Leamington Spa now.
4 March 2018
sean mcgrath
he looks like a milk thief
14 May 2019
dr desperate
As played by Dan Duryea in ‘Manhandled’ (1949).
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041631/characters/nm0002053?ref_=tt_cl_t3
8 December 2019