There’s no easy into the set for the band who launch into a stellar version of ‘Dream all Day’ with Messrs Auer and Stringfellow cutting the shapes and leaping around the stage like men half their age. And they can still land on the beat too. Joined this time around by Dave Fox on bass, amazing suit, and Mike Musberger on drums constantly twiddling, spinning and throwing his sticks around without missing a beat.
The bulk of the set comes from the three albums above but there’s a special mention for Dear 23’s legendary producer John Leckie who’s in the audience tonight. Its non-stop action with no song outstaying its welcome and the between song banter is amusing and self-deprecating. A couple of guests join the band tonight with a member of the audience joining the band on drums for ‘Going going gone’ and pretty good his was too plus the quirky support act Anna Wolf adding some backing vocals on a couple of tracks from the under rated Blood/Candy.
Proving they are just not a nostalgia act transporting us back twenty five years but still keeping guitar based rock alive, they’ve got the songs, they’ve still clearly got the energy and they’ve got the licks too.
Highlights for me probably ‘Daily Mutilation’, ‘Please Return it’ and of course ‘Solar Sister’ before the epic punk encores of ‘Grant Hart’, Song #1 and ‘Burn and Shine’ bring us all to a breathless crescendo as we are chucked out into the balmy autumnal evening in North London.
A great night from a band who prove they are still a force to live with competing with any young upstarts in the rock scene.
Until the next time keep on rockin y’all