The theme tune to the seventies police drama The Sweeney rings out as Kirk Brandon and his cohorts arrive on stage and head into the tubthumping `Land Of Shame` before the stunning `Rocket Ship` from The World Service album is shared with some wonderful accompanying sax tones. With fifteen albums to choose from, tonight`s hour long set is a taster from a fair few of these. The almost tribal `Rainmaker` and rousing `Young Men` ring out before the rhythmic `Spirits`. The thumping `Waster` a song about relationships beset by drink from 2022`s `Ghost Population` album is dusted down. The thoughtful `Playground of the Rich` calms us down before the spellbinding ballad like `Never Take Me Alive` has this packed crowd waving arms and singing along.
Kirk Brandon has a gift of creating anthemic songs and the final leg of the set is packed with these with `Soldier Soldier`, `World Service` the poignant `Mickey` before closing with a final call to arms in `Liberator`.
Kirk seems genuinely overcome by this packed crowd’s response to the band`s set as he tells us all to “stay alive” as he leaves the stage. Spear of Destiny shows are always uplifting and rewarding and in my opinion seem to improve each time I’m lucky enough to attend. Kirk returns next year with Theatre of Hate on their forty fifth anniversary tour with a date in Birmingham next September that will be worth marking in your calendar.
Skids arrive on what is the 45th Anniversary tour of the `Days in Europa` album and the last time I saw the band was when Stuart Adamson was still with them. I then saw Richard Jobson`s band the Armoury Show a few times but tonight drew me back to memories of my late teens and early twenties.
The band arrive on stage to rapturous applause and head straight into `Animation`, `Thanatos` and a favourite of mine, the singalong `Charade` all from said album. `Another Emotion` rings out before we return to the `Days in Europa` album for the anthemic `Dulce et Decorum Est (Pro Patria Mori)` which translates to “it is sweet and proper to die for one’s country”, a line from the Odes by the Roman poet Horace and also quoted in the title of Wilfred Owen`s poem, describing soldiers’ horrific experiences in World War 1 .
`Working for the Yankee Dollar` has everybody singing along before frontman Richard Jobson shares that the album was going to be called `The Olympian` and in his head it still is as he plays this track before the final cuts from the album with the wonderful `Masquerade` and title track `A Day in Europa`
The concluding part of the show has `The Saints are Coming` from the band`s debut `Scared to Dance` a song covered by U2 which inspired the reformation of the band and the groups biggest hit `Into the Valley` a top ten hit in 1979. The flip side of `Into the Valley` is shared with the amusing `T.V. Stars` and has everybody shouting “Albert Tatlock” which I’d forgotten about before `Circus Games` the last song written with Stuart Adamson closes out the set.
It`s not long before the band return for a two-song encore which includes a part a cappella version of `Charles` and a heart rendering version of `A Woman in Winter` and this seventy-minute show was over.
Richard Jobson is reinvigorated with this current line-up of the band and his energetic performance had me exhausted just watching him. His self-deprecating sense of humour shines through as does his genuine passion for all to share in and enjoy his music and legacy.
Tonight, was nearing the halfway mark on this twenty-five-date tour so there`s some time left to catch this superb double bill and enjoy one of the best gigs of the year.
