One of those nights 'innit. You've got your earthtone9 playing nearby in Northampton, Pantera over in Wolves and Incubus here to choose from. So Incubus won out, partly cos I think the Pantera gig was allegedly sold out before I'd made up me mind.
First on are Queen Adreena. Weird one to judge this. I liked the one single I've heard, bought the CD but only had time to listen to it once, so am unfamiliar with most stuff. And it feels that in this setting (the place is packed) you need to be familiar with the material to really be able to get into the gig. Otherwise, well it didn't really do it for me, but I want to reserve judgement till I've listened to it properly, because I think it's something that's going to grow on me. There's plenty of projecting from the frontwoman herself, but the rest of the band play second fiddle, preferring to be pretty much anonymous. Can't say anymore. Wrong time at the moment.
Incubus come on stage to a rousing reception and return the compliment by hurling into New Skin, followed by Privelige (which receives a huge cheer), Pardon Me and Favourite Things. Brandon is playing on those tribal drum things, acts suitably bashful "thankyou" and "cheers me dears". My personal favourite, The Warmth is a highlight. It's the music and the positivity of the song that I keep trying to remember. The title track of the latest album is introduced as "there's a song on Make Yourself called Make Yourself." Helpful.
The problem is, they've thrown out all the big guns at once, and the middle of the set just looses momentum for me. Calgone is lengthened out into a jam, with a snippet of Walking On The Moon thrown in before they finally head back into the song. There's a few more new and old songs aired, but it's all flagged a bit before they finish of the set on a high again with the one two of Certain Shade Of Green (which gets the biggest cheer of the night) and Redefine which yes, features Brandon getting it out. His didjeridu. Or however the hell it's spelt.
They leave the stage, and DJ Killmore returns to do some scratching stuff. When the rest of the band return, it's announced that it's drummer Jose's birthday. The crowd starts on an impromptu "happy birthday" before right royally fucking up when it comes to saying the name Jose, much to the vocalist's amusmement. "Is it cos he's Mexican, you can't say his name" before finishing the tune for us. The band then play "You Will Be A Hot Dancer", announced as being from the original Fungus Amongus rather than the subsequent Enjoy Incubus EP. It's a good song, but again they jam it out past it's duration before finishing it off. It's a good set by a good band, but they teeter on the edge a couple of times. It's just that good though this was, I think they can actually do a lot better.
And then it's over. Time to head down those stairs, where, as ever, brains depart bodies. And people stand in the middle of the doorway. Or on the stairs that a couple of thousand people are trying to walk down. Well, it's the obvious place to stand innit? Maybe so. The other obvious place to stand is in the middle of the road outside. Which as far as I can see, makes you fair game for me in the car. I don't think I actually ran over anyones toes, but hey, if I did, then it's simple. Don't stand in the middle of the bloody road when there's a car driving down it.