Last year I reviewed Gallus’ album “We Don’t Like The People We’ve Become” and was using words like “energy” and tellingly all my references were from the 90s. Seeing them live here for the first time you can only conclude that my thoughts on the Glasgow mob were exactly right at the time.
Watching them do the scrappy, scuzzy punk of “Moderation” and bouncing around like they’ve got ADHD you can only imagine that the boys are heading for the time of their lives. When they do “Marmalade” singer Barry Dolan finds himself in the crowd. It is where he seems happiest and there is no doubt the bands natural habitat is on stage or in his case, of course, off it.
You cannot escape the 90s vibe of their material in particular the brilliant “Penicillin”, while in the review last year I mentioned the Stereophonics and the lead guitar of “Fruitflies” is headed for the same arenas. The Scottish mob have won every award going for a young band and have been long seen as ones to watch. Indeed it is impossible to look at new single Wash Your Wounds” and not be imagining them topping bills like this very soon.
As Therapy? Begin “Screamager” here as their penultimate track, Bassist Michael McKeigan is stood on the drum riser. But he’s done this a million times in his life doesn’t seem to matter. Look at his beaming smile. Look at the crowd reaction as 600 people crammed into Birmingham’s Institute2 go crazy yet again, as they have all night, in fairness.
Therapy? Have been doing this for over 30 years, hell they’ve been coming to the second city for over 30 years and nothing seemingly, has diminished both their enjoyment or they skill for what they do.
Here to complete the UK tour after the postponement of the show just before Christmas, the almost two hours they are on stage is a celebration of all that’s been wonderful about them.
Riding something of a commercial high, After their “Cold Hard Fire” album from last year gave them their best chart placing in decades, this set is something of a victory lap.
After beginning with album opener “They Shoot The Terrible Master”, You understand what is clear every time Therapy? play and that is no band sounds quite like them.
That is best underlined by the two covers they play here tonight. “Isolation” from Joy Division is played early , while “Diane”, turned here into a punk thing is later, but both are made their own but that is what Messrs Cairns, McKeegan and Cooper have always done.
But what is also noticeable here is at this stage in their careers, Therapy? Are probably in a position to enjoy it more. Cairns, in particular, is gregarious dedicating “Joy” to the crowd.
For me and many others I suspect in the audience it was their seminal “Troublegum” album that first alerted us to the band. It is 30 years old this year, but songs like “Unbeliever” have lost none of their power or charm.
There are references to a gig in Dudley when someone stole their teddy bears envy can confirm although we were there it wasn’t us, but hearing “Safe” here from the album they were touring then is a treat.
What the “….Fire” album tapped into most of all was the sheer hopelessness of 2023. “Bewildered Herd” and the brilliant “Poundland Of Hope And Glory” both get into that marvellously.
This as ever is a breakneck set but it does give them the chance to go through the back catalogue and play some material they haven’t for a while. “Totally Random Man” from the very first EP Is one of those occasions and a welcome addition.
There are of course plenty of songs they almost have to play and “Stories”, the aforementioned “Diane”, and Teethgrinder” all fall into that category. The latter ends the set, but only to take us to a lengthy encore.
“Bloody Blue”, which Cairns explains, was inspired by Brummie punks GBH is an unexpected trip down memory lane. The first song they ever wrote it still belongs amongst the company of the wonderful “Die Laughing” and the still gloriously ludicrous Potato Junkie” where James Joyce he’s still giving one to your sister as he has for decades, but as ever there are two songs that finish every Therapy? set.
And of course with a face like this you won’t break any hearts, but that is almost where we came in with McKeegan the evil priest grinning at the mayhem they’ve caused. This though, is Birmingham and to celebrate that fact before the last one, there’s a quick run through of Breaking The Law” (there had already been a reprise of “War Pigs”. These boys know their history.
Of course, you don’t get to fill venues for 35 years if you don’t know how to do it and there is little doubt that Therapy? are still one of the best. What this show also proved, however, is they have done it totally on their terms. When they played “Mongrel” here Cairns had said “This one is dedicated to all of you” but he may well have dedicated it to the band. Never quite fitting in, always outsiders, Therapy? clearly have so much left to say they are going “Nowhere”.
