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LIVE REVIEW
HAPPY MONDAYS
NEWCASTLE CITY HALL
Photos - David Weddle @dweddlephotography
They say good things come in threes, and that was definitely the case in Newcastle as Happy Mondays rolled into town with a few friends, namely Stereo MCs and Inspiral Carpets. Household names that have seen their music impact the hearts, minds, and souls of millions of people over the decades.
Celebrations started early, with Stereo MC's taking to the stage first. Belting out banger after banger with more bass than you can shake a very large tambourine at, the Stereo MCs have most certainly still got 'it'. From the left to the right of Newcastle City Hall, they definitely 'Connected', with the audience. Energy was certainly not lacking, and those who got into the venue early enough were rewarded handsomely for their punctuality.
A real treat! Nice one, Stereo MCs.
Celebrations started early, with Stereo MC's taking to the stage first. Belting out banger after banger with more bass than you can shake a very large tambourine at, the Stereo MCs have most certainly still got 'it'. From the left to the right of Newcastle City Hall, they definitely 'Connected', with the audience. Energy was certainly not lacking, and those who got into the venue early enough were rewarded handsomely for their punctuality.
A real treat! Nice one, Stereo MCs.
Changing things up a bit next, Inspiral Carpets played a solid set, including fan favourites 'This Is How It Feels', and ending with 'Saturn 5'. Firing on all cylinders with stunning guitar work from Graham Lambert and the distinctive keywork from Clint Boon provides the perfect platform for Stephen Holt's vocals to shine brightly.
On bass, Clint's son, Oscar Boon, added a youthful edge to the Inspiral Carpets sound, and Kev Clark on drums provided a strong backbone for the band. The Inspiral Carpets had the audience singing along from start to finish, and the sound of the crowd was incredible.
On bass, Clint's son, Oscar Boon, added a youthful edge to the Inspiral Carpets sound, and Kev Clark on drums provided a strong backbone for the band. The Inspiral Carpets had the audience singing along from start to finish, and the sound of the crowd was incredible.
Inspiral Carpets - Photos - David Weddle @dweddlephotography
The stage techs got to work setting up the stage, which in itself was worth watching the highly skilled and well choreographed team work together in perfect synch with each other. And before long, the house lights dimmed, and violet light flooded the stage as intro music played out through the PA. As half of the band took to the stage, with Rowetta hyping up the crowd with some impressive vocal work, Bez and Shaun walked on to a thunderous roar of cheers from the crowd.
Kicking off with 'Kinky Afro' , it was clear that Bez's energy was still just as strong as ever. He didn't stop moving around the stage, maracas in hand, and dancing away, just as you would have hoped. Shaun stood at the back of the stage with shades on as he gave the crowd what they wanted. His voice is still just as distinctive and strong as it always has been. The Newcastle crowd was in for an hour and a quarter of pure hits from the Manchester icons. From 'God's Cop' to '24 Hour Party People', the Happy Mondays knew what the crowd wanted and went all in to give them a show to remember. With Bez and Shaun intermittently taking a moment to share some banter about the set list, the humour and charisma are very much a part of the charm of this band.
Funky dancing, maraca shaking, and incredible vocal performances Happy Mondays showed why they were so big in the 90s and have been able to keep that special place in the hearts of the fans for so long.
Kicking off with 'Kinky Afro' , it was clear that Bez's energy was still just as strong as ever. He didn't stop moving around the stage, maracas in hand, and dancing away, just as you would have hoped. Shaun stood at the back of the stage with shades on as he gave the crowd what they wanted. His voice is still just as distinctive and strong as it always has been. The Newcastle crowd was in for an hour and a quarter of pure hits from the Manchester icons. From 'God's Cop' to '24 Hour Party People', the Happy Mondays knew what the crowd wanted and went all in to give them a show to remember. With Bez and Shaun intermittently taking a moment to share some banter about the set list, the humour and charisma are very much a part of the charm of this band.
Funky dancing, maraca shaking, and incredible vocal performances Happy Mondays showed why they were so big in the 90s and have been able to keep that special place in the hearts of the fans for so long.
