| SET LIST | 1. Solomon Bites The Worm
2. Serenity Now
3. Keep The Home Fires Burning
4. The Fountainhead
5. Head On A Spike
6. Never Goin' Nowhere
7. Baby Back Up
8. Cut Some Rug
9. You're No Fun Anymore
10. Surrendered
11. My Neighbour's House
12. Can't Be Trusted
13. Hope 'n' Jump
14. Slight Return
15. If Encore:
Bluetonic |
 | | See more photos via the link below |
-----------The Bluetones: they'll forever be in our hearts and Reading has ensured a rammed gig at the Fez Club tonight. It's as ever a stellar performance from the Hounslow quartet. They played a great gig at the Gun Street venue three years ago. A few punters tonight still remember them supporting Supergrass at the After Dark in the mid-nineties. They can't do no wrong. Yet tonight questions stir such as: why have punters forked out £12.50 to hear just a couple of old songs? There's barely a cheer for the new ones when they're announced. The 30-somethings who once danced to The Bluetones at their students union are now gabbing on to each other, chinking glasses, showing each other their new-borns on mobile phones. But when, say, Slight Return or If appears, (which we've had to wait an hour for), all eyes suddenly dart to the stage, a few arms even raise and flail about. Mark Morriss admits they're prostituting themselves to plug their eponymous fifth album, but even he gets exasperated at times, calling out: "Why are you so quiet?", or "Come on, you can do better than that!". Next question: why do The Bluetones sound no different from ten years ago? This isn't a negatively-angled query, more a curious one. New songs have the same saccharine crunch. Though, based on tonight's audience reaction, they're not as electrifying as the stand-out hits. "Did you like that song?" Mark asks after My Neighbour's House, their first single off the new album. We all shout an encouraging "Yeah!". "Well why didn't it go to number one then!". To which someone responds: "It wasn't 'that' good"... The band still sound tight, Morriss's voice still twins reediness and crystalline zest, there's the comfy old poppy harmonies - it's the same tried and tested formula. While you could argue there's no need for bands to progress musically as such - why change a winning team and all that - it's perhaps why we're here more for a nostalgia trip than anything else. And as far as "musical journeys" go (as Mark himself puts it), hundreds have willingly turned up for the ride, and probably will do for many years to come. Listen out for The Bluetones in a special Session with Susanne Courtney on BBC Radio Berkshire - this Sunday 19 November from 7pm to 8pm. | 
