 | | Malcolm Middleton gets serious |
On first inspection, Middleton appears to be the very epitome of a dour Scotsman, barely raising a smile all night – hardly surprising, given the sound problems that beset at least half his songs – yet his wry humour shines through his lyrics like the spark of a cigarette in the dark, dark night. Yet, for all the fine music, the technical problems, be them of the band or the venue’s making, couldn’t fail but impact on proceedings. "Get on with it then," cried one punter as the eternity of tuning ahead of a great Fight Like The Night sapped what little atmosphere the venue allowed. It wasn’t just the crowd getting restless. Even Middleton himself came out of a thrilling Break My Heart raring to fall straight into another tune, only to find his cohorts not quite as keen. After a moment or two’s wait, he turned to them and issued a withering "well, I’m ready for the next one." In fact, it wasn’t until he dispensed with his entourage and pulled out a few acoustic moments that the splendour of his tunes finally emerged out of the fug of the sound system. As a result, the beautiful The Death Of My Unworthiness and the fun of Devil And The Angel were the real treats of the night. Closing the night with a wonderful take on Best In Me, Middleton looked almost relieved that it was over. It was only him that felt that way. This may have been a shocker sound-wise but true talent doesn’t need perfection to shine. | 
