No Manchester date on this leg but this one was doable. Newhampton Arts Centre is an excellent venue, felt very welcoming and comfortable and really impressed with the sound - absolutely perfect. Loud enough for Graham's bass and Robert's kick drum to vibrate your internal organs a bit but you could also hear properly what everyone else was doing and singing.
Not a sell out but a decent sized crowd for a relatively low-key gig on a Tuesday night. No support and they come on quite early about 8.40 - They've changed hats since I last saw them - Graham's got a beret thing and Colin now rocks a cap, pulled down over his eyes like Scott Walker. The set is pretty much what they've been doing this year - I last saw them at the Leeds Drill but now they're mid-tour after some US dates and I can hear the difference - Colin had some guitar issues on 'Ahead' so Graham took over vocals for bit, but everything else was faultless and the Silver/Lead stuff sounds much more bedded in. The 'oldies' work really well dotted in amongst the more recent stuff, and the crowd seem to know the newer tunes anyway. Underwater Experiences tonight becomes a strobe-lit techonpunk monster and Red Barked Trees is a real highlight - Robert's good tonight! Over Theirs has morphed into something very different to the original now, and makes for quite a stunning, brooding set closer. At one point, when Matt and Colin are getting busy with FX pedals Graham seems to be willing the beat to start up again but Rob's having none of it and remains stock still, eyes closed - he's in charge!. For the encore we get Silver/Lead, Used To and a ferocious Stealth of a Stork. I'd have maybe liked a couple more tunes (apparently Norwich got a 6 song encore?!) but otherwise a hugely enjoyable gig