By Mike Jeffries.
The 32nd anniversary tour of a debut album – without the band member most folks remember most – doesn’t sound promising does it? Fortunately there’s a big difference between paper and a bunch of brilliant tunes played live, particularly when you’re the Undertones.
From the moment bass player Mickey Bradley gets to the mic, first to let us know “We’re going to do the first album…… The Monkees first album”, you remember that a self deprecating sense of humour was always a nice added bonus to those blinding tunes.
So they crack on with Family Entertainment and take us through that first album. You get the likes of “Jump Boys”, “True Confessions” and that’s before the singles. “Jimmy Jimmy” – now there’s a tune and a half and “Here Comes the Summer”. Is it possible not to cheer up every time you hear that song?
The O’Neill brother’s guitars are still what make it for me, ringing out and carrying those great choruses and melodies. I can’t remember if it was John Peel or Eamon McCann that said the wonder of the Undertones was the beautiful pop songs, set against the political situation in Ireland at the time, actually maybe it was someone else – I just wish it had been me.
Paul McLoone really is a great front man and he’s in fine voice and good jokey form tonight. I can’t compare him to the Sharkey bloke as I never saw the original incarnation of the band but this singer has been belting these songs out for a good few years now and he’s made it his own gig.
Undertones songs being short and to the point there’s loads of time for some more and we get “Julie Ocean” – a personal favourite Paul tells us and too right; it’s one of mine too. How wasn’t it a massive great monster of a hit record? It’s bloody perfect and yet again I have to cover up the fact that it’s gone and gotten a tear in my eye.
“You’ve Got My Number” has such an exciting guitar line to it, “Wednesday Week” is just lovely and then you get to bounce up and down to “My Perfect Cousin”. I hope there aren’t still Kevin’s out there that are annoyed by it because there’s really no need. I’m then really chuffed that “Thrill Me”, one of the newer songs, goes down a storm, not least because it stands up next to all the original line ups stuff and damn well deserves its place at the table.
For the finale it’s “Mars Bars”, then Damian’s amp jacks in, not the once mind, oh no, it has to be twice. Second time the audience sings and claps the song through to the point where the amp decides to rejoin the party. I almost forgot during the brief interlude where some blokes run on to sort the amp we get treated to Mickey and Paul admiring the t-shirts in the audience and complimenting those wearing them. So there are name checks for the Clash, the Ramones, Blondie and SLF – I don’t think they could see the half dozen or so Buzzcocks shirts in evidence. They were all standing at the back, which is a bit weird come to think of it.
No Monkee’s songs in the end, not needed as this lot have got plenty of their own thank you very much. And I do thank them very, very much indeed.
Oh, and yes, they did play Teenage Kicks. It was great.
