Before my review a word about the venue. It’s terrible. It’s bad enough that unless you are pretty near the front the sight lines are atrocious on flat floor in this narrow room, the sound is often of dubious quality, they have about four spotlights on stage, only four urinals for the whole venue and no aircon. But tonight we have to queue for nearly half an hour to get into the place and I am sure that a number of people would have missed the start. Despite 21st technology they are checking off individuals names on a clip board and had no idea what to do with my eticket on Dice which wasn’t scanned.
Enough about the venue and onto the show. There’s no support and they are on promptly at 8.30 for what promises to be an epic set where they regularly play over fifty songs. Touring in support of just the two albums released this year! the set really does span the last twenty five or so years. The great thing about GBV is that no song outstays its welcome. If you don’t like something then with an average length of probably about two minutes you are not too far from the next great song.
The sound and pace to the night is relentless from note one and each song seems to get heavier thanks in no small part to the return of guitarist Doug Gillard and the back beat Kevin March on sticks and harmonies. Its breathless stuff and the occasional feedback feels like a defibrillator restarting your heart. The usual gripe about sound in this venue doesn’t apply tonight as the levels are set to eleven from the beginning and probably hit twelve.
Pollard is a witty raconteur and takes comic pops at Trump, Flaming Lips, Aerosmith and REM tonight. Back to the music and there’s enough in the set to keep everyone happy with tracks performed from over fifteen different albums and they could still be playing now and yet have hours of material left.
An epic gig and there’s going to be a lot of worn out middle aged men this morning, me included.
Till the next time keep on rockin y’all