WaterboysFans - Review

LIVE REVIEW
SHEFFIELD, UK - 26TH OCTOBER 2000
BY PETER LENNIE

Sheffield last night, I got hold of a PDF map showing the Octagon on line,
tried to print it but for some reason I couldn't get it to work. Actually
since I tried I now can't get my printer to print anything, I'll run through
my normal trouble shooting routine later, switch it off and on, if that
fails give it a swift kick ;-) I picked up Pete Beech and we headed east
over the Pennines. Eventually we found what we thought was the right part of
Sheffield, seemed to be loads of students around, so we parked up and asked
directions. We were virtually in the shadow of the building so we made our
way in in time to catch Adam Snyder. He was excellent as usual, playing a
new song, on the piano. Not one of his humourous ones this one was about a
separated father, showing his child round his new digs when he came to stay.

Then it was into the now familiar tape, Pagan Place and Sad Eyed Lady
jumping out from the background groove. A familiar beat started up as a tape
of Night Falls On London. As it ended the band came on stage, a great way to
start the show, rather than coming on in silence. Mike was
wearing what looked like a pretty plain white shirt, black denim jeans, and
patent leather shoes. Still no sign of the socks, I'm beginning to suspect
there's some sort of sock concealment conspiracy. Every time he kicks his
legs up there's someone or something in the way, maybe there are no socks.
He was also wearing a broad grin most of the night.

New bass player, Jo Wadesden, long dark hair tied back, with an
Italian/Latin look about her, was wearing tight black trousers and a
brownish top, with a circle design on it. A female bass player brought back
childhood memories of Suzi Quatro, but enough of that.

I think it was at this stage that we got the explanation that the band would
be playing 'Some old songs and some new songs'. The band rocked into Let It
Happen, Mike raising his finger to his lips as the *soldier* said
'husssshhhhh'. Next up was The Charlatan's Lament, same version as the other
nights and I still couldn't sing along.  Like Wolverhampton Mike held his
finger and thumb together to show a 'thimbleful'. Strange Boat stormed along
to a roar of recognition, Mike stepping back from the microphone, repeating
the "We're sailing on a strange boat" line, moving further away each time
until the sound faded into the distance.

Mike seemed much more relaxed than other shows, with plenty of banter all
through the night. At one stage, between songs he just listened to the
chorus of calls for various songs before remarking that the audience were in
fine voice and should form a choir. Someone yelled for Old England again and
Mike pointed him out and said 'You should be the choir leader'. A quick
introduction for a song from A Pagan Place led into All the Things She Gave
Me. Richard playing the saxophone solo on the keyboards.

Glastonbury Song followed, with waves of cymbals at the beginning and a
soaring guitar solo at the end. The next song was dedicated to 'That geezer
on the telly, Danny Baker' and with a quick burst of 'In Hell he lifted up
his eyes' the band crashed into Dumbing Down The World. John Baggot turned
away from his main piano/organ keyboard and laid into his Moog synth. John
really seemed to have settled in now, the hesitancy that had been evident at
earlier shows had disappeared as he bounced around at the keyboards all
night.

After Dumbing Down we got the band introductions, much earlier than the
other shows I'd seen. First up was Richard, with Mike telling the crowd he
was from London, which brought a chorus of boos from the crowd, leaving Mike
laughing. Next up was local girl, Jo, from 'Holloway, near Matlock
Derbyshire'. Then John Baggot from Bristol and 'Long Tom Windriff, from Mars
', at which Tom stuck his drum stick in his ears waving at the crowd.
Someone shouted 'Where are you from?' to Mike but I don't think we really
got an answer.

Next Mike introduced a song, 'That he knew very well' and 'lots of the crowd
knew well', adding 'But lets see how the band do'. I'm sure the sample from
before Dumbing Down was played somewhere else during the night, maybe here.
It was a storming version with Mike's guitar, and both keyboards really
ripping into it. Instead of just plain Nazis it was Hitler himself who was
on his trail. Be My Enemy was followed by Is She Conscious which was as good
as ever, Mike singing the entire last line with his eyes tight shut.

Then it was time for Jo, Tom and John to leave the stage for a while for the
acoustic set. Mike went over to Titch and they seemed to have a fairly
lengthy chat about some change to the plan. First up was His Word Is Not His
Bond, a stripped down version really highlighting Mike's singing. I was
expecting When Ye Go Away next but instead they went into The Wind In The
Wires, one of the songs that the 'Sheffield Choir' had been calling for all
night. It didn't disappoint, a haunting, majestic version. I'd said to Pete
B before the show that they could do with 3 songs in the acoustic set, to
allow When Ye Go Away but still leave 2 slots to mix around. That's what we
got tonight with Richard's piano as magnificent as ever. At the end Mike
announced 'Richard Naiff' on the piano, with Richard taking a bow as the
crowd roared their approval.

The trumpet fanfare to Crown started up, before Richard's keyboards and
Mikes guitar joined in. The rest of the band stayed off stage until the last
minute before they came back as the song exploded with energy. John was
playing the manic, Gala style piano without any prompting from Mike this
time, throwing himself from one end of the keyboard to the other. The next
song was Return of Pan, with Mike half skipping, half dancing way over to he
side of the stage to leave Jo's bass driving on the early part of the song.
Another screaming guitar solo on this one, another that the choir had been
requesting from the off.

I think it was around this time that someone threw a tape up on stage. Mike
picked it up and read the label, 'The Same, is that the name of your band?'
before carefully slipping it into his back pocket. He came back to the mike
and grinned 'I suppose you'll call your second tape More Of The Same'.
Richard started up the organ sounds on the keyboard before Mike's guitar
started the intro to Savage Earth Heart. This time the song segued
seamlessly into The Pan Within, really reaching the heights before it came
to a close and Mike said 'Good Night' and led the band off the stage.

The trumpet intro to Don't Bang The Drum came over the PA and the band filed
back on stage ready to launch into the song. The crowd really erupted, with
the front becoming a pogoing mass, like they'd all been holding back, not
wanting to be the first to start jumping around. As the song ended, someone
in the crowd, who'd been calling for new songs almost as much as the old
ones, yelled out 'Jonah'. Mike laughed back, 'Who are you calling Jonah?'.
Mike told the crowd they had one more song left to play before starting
Whole of the Moon, to the audience's delight. Once again Mike led the band
off, who all looked really ecstatic with the show and the reception they
were getting.

After a brief wait the band were back again for a second encore. My Love Is
My Rock filled the hall, with a mighty sound. Instead of being 'All that it
takes', half of the music was now on 'someone's tape'. Hopefully that'll
turn out to be true. Towards the end Mike said to Tom, 'Hey Mr Drummer Man,
I don't want none of that rock and roll. Get tribal' and the drum line
simplified to a primal beat. All too soon it was over, the band left waving
and clapping the audience. I've missed so many magical moments in this show,
there were just too many to remember. It seemed on a whole other level from
the shows last week, the band growing in stature and Mike that much more
relaxed, Roll on Manchester.