Hello friends.
See any good gigs in 2010? I saw a few for sure. Jetted to Barcelona to see the mighty Cornershop, witnessed a fabulously over the top stage show from KISS here in Liverpool and watched as Stevie Wonder filled my black little heart with joy during the annual Glastonbury extravaganza. But a hidden gem among the year's gigs came from a long-established indie troupe as they travelled the highways & byways of Europe celebrating the 21st anniversary of their second album. Ladies, Gentlemen & Children, I give you The Wedding Present.
This band had always largely passed me by until their most devoted fan (101 gigs & counting), my good friend John Marshall, dragged me along to see them back in 2007. I didn't think it was the best gig I'd ever seen but it was good enough to get me investigating further. Listening to their catalogue, I kept coming back to 1989's Bizarro and, as it was this particular album they were recreating during November's tour, I decided to pop along.
One thing that really struck me as TWP strode onstage was the obvious depth of feeling between the band and the faithful; many people in the audience were attending multiple shows on the tour and I was keen to find out why. It rapidly became apparent as the group thudded through eight-minute epic Interstate 5 - while not immediately catchy, this band's work rewards repeated listening. It's hypnotic, melodic............starlike. Add to that their leader, David Gedge, is an absolute card; conducting an impromptu question and answer session (no, the band don't do encores, yes he does dye his hair) he deftly avoided an enquiry as to his age with a wry smile and "let's move on shall we?". For the record he's 50 and looks a lot better than most guys 20 years his junior. I certainly would.....
If, like me, you've heard Weddoes records and thought they sounded somewhat lightweight, then you'd be pleasantly surprised at the band in a live setting. There's a lot more punch there than you'd expect, in fact there are many hidden depths to this group which, in common with all the best acts, I think can only be seen by paying your ticket money and seeing for yourself. As I stood outside the Academy pulling on a Marlboro I observed hordes of forty-somethings exit the doors wide-eyed and smiling.....and that, my friends, was worth the ticket price alone.
