From: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org (idealcopy-digest) To: idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Subject: idealcopy-digest V11 #121 Reply-To: idealcopy@smoe.org Sender: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk idealcopy-digest Tuesday, July 28 2009 Volume 11 : Number 121 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [idealcopy] Day two in the Wild Swan house ["keith a" Subject: [idealcopy] Day two in the Wild Swan house THE WILD SWANS Static Gallery, Liverpool 24th July 2009 I arrived in Liverpool later than intended and after a quick drink in a "proper local pub", we missed the support act, though I did make it up to Ms Rebecca Joy Sharp by buying her cd, The Mystery Workshop. Very lovely it is, too. Anyway, from the set-lists that had been left on-stage, I could see straight away that we were going to get the same set as the previous night (so no The Worst Year Of My Life again dammit!), but what we did get was a band on top form. I can't honestly say I enjoyed it more than the previous night, because the first night was so special for obvious reasons, but my mate did and he's possibly right when he says they were better/tighter tonight. Certainly, Simpson was a much more confident performer on the second evening and he was certainly much chattier. The bit where he introduced the band was excellent - this was no just "so and so on the guitar", as Simpson recounted how, for example, he met Mike Mooney during the times of the Toxteth Riots and gave him a cup of tea and that he had known Les Pattinson since they were both four years of age. He also reserved a special thanks to Ricky Rene Maymi for being the 'musical director' and basically getting the whole shebang into action. Interestingly the audience was altogether noisier tonight, too. Highlights? Well Bible Dreams is such a great opener with that driving bassline and No Bleeding is soooo rousing. Incidentally it turns out 'the new one' is called Liquid Mercury and it really is a corker. I'm really hoping that this gets a release soon as this could easily be a Wild Swans classic in the making. Actually I reckon both sides of the recent 10" single have already achieved this status. Simpson didn't preface the excellent B-side The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years it with a tribute to Pete De Freitas tonight, but the vocals were more audible and when he mentioned 'Pete' at the end, guitarist Mike Mooney suddenly jumped up and shouted De Frietas name, which led to cheers all round. It was a lovely, touching moment. And prior to performing English Electric Lightning - a definite contender for single of the year thus far as far as I'm concerned - lyric sheets (or "hymn sheets" as Simpson referred to them!) were handed out to the audience so that we could all join in for lines like... "Council housing, Shakespeare's sonnets, Turner's sunset in pools of vomit." And Revolutionary Spirit, which concluded the main set again, was simply sublime tonight. After this they trooped off, only for Ian McNabb to rush on-stage to whip up applause with a "Wild Swans!!" shout before the band came back on. It was the same encore, too (Melting Blue Delicious, Bringing Home The Ashes and Tangerine Temple) but I'm not complaining. Will Sergeant again joined the band adding some lovely piercing Heroes-like long notes to proceedings. Simpson's voice was going by this point, but he looked genuinely moved by the time he was leaving. So, two great performances. Two great nights in my life. I even got Mike Mooney's set-list and got fed a Flying Saucer sweet by Simpson as part of the Wild Swans Communion! There may a sense of melancholy and elements of wistful nostalgia about The Wild Swans, but there is also something incredibly joyous about them, too. The Wild Swans back-catalogue is choc-full of melodies that most bands would kill for, and those wonderful tunes are now performed by a line-up that Simpson must be barely able to believe himself. I appreciate it will be difficult for Simpson to hang onto all of the current personnel but I sincerely hope that this is just a beginning of a new chapter in the Wild Swans history and not just an added footnote. Set list... Bible Dreams Archangels Immaculate Liquid Mercury Now And Forever No Bleeding Northern England The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years God Forbid English Electric Lightning Revolutionary Spirit Encore Melting Blue Delicious Bringing Home The Ashes Tangerine Temple A few pics here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/26339578@N03/ ------------------------------ End of idealcopy-digest V11 #121 ********************************