Another Fantastic Gig!! The Ritz, 12-12-12

Another tour, another gig, another setlist...

Cracking show at the Ritz in Manchester, on the memorable date 12-12-12. As you can see, I blagged another setlist (to make up for the one I gave away in Liverpool earlier in the year), got a copy of the limited"Words and Music (US Edition)", and got my copy of London Conversations defaced by some strange people...

Arrived in Manchester FAR too early on a freezing Wednesday December evening, so I decided to nip into the nearby Sainsbury's on the corner of Whitworth Street and Oxford Road.  As you do. Who should I bump into browsing the shelves of wine, but one Sarah Cracknell. If she was annoyed at getting hassled by punters whilst trying to shop, she didn't show it, and remembered me from Liverpool earlier in the year, when we chatted after the gig. Anyway after informing me that poor old Debsey was feeling a bit rough, I left her to her Rioja hunting but asked if she could sign something for me outside. And above you can see a message from Sarah to me. Awww. Plus she said if I talked to Gerard (Johnson, their faithful collaborator and "goto" man) and said Sarah sent me, he'd be able to get Bob and Pete to sign the item. And the promise was kept! Fantastic.

The gig? Support band Scritti Politti were superb, with Green Gartside now sporting a serious beard but singing like an angel, with a cracking band and nice sideline in self-depricating wit.

Sarah, Bob and Pete have now got the hang of this touring malarky and are rather good at it. Debsey managed to make the gig, though "Who Do You Think You Are?" got dropped due to her vocal problems. New boy James on guitar was a fantastic addition, and we got all the usual faves plus "Bad Photographer" and "Lose That Girl", plus their version of Chris Rea's "Driving Home For Christmas" and of course "I Was Born On Christmas Day" - no Tim Burgess this time, in fact not even John Robb! But Debsey stepped in to make it a fitting tune to end the night.

2012 - a vintage year for the band. Here's some photos...