Dr Jim pulled out at the last mintue, so I asked Paul if he fancied making the journey. He did, which was pretty lucky, as I can't drive, and Lancaster is quite a way away. We made it about half an hour before Misty's were due on, and had a beer and a chat about the rugby.
Misty's were excellent, as always. They started with Long Conveyor Belt, which I like more and more each time I hear it. Some old favourites - Story of Love, Smart Guys Wear Ties - made it on to the set-list, others - Dog Like You, Biscuit Tin - didn't. As always, the highlight for me was Fashion Parade. It's a masterclass in an ensemble stage performance by the whole band - the brass section mincing around like the fashionistas mocked in the song - it's genius. They do it so well, and even though I must have seen it five or six times, it's always entertaining.
The Bluetones were also really good. They played Expecting To Fly in full at the start of the show, and then played a few more songs to close things out. I love their bitter wit, and sharp acceptance of their fall into mediocrity. After we saw Mark Morriss playing under that whale skeleton in Manchester, and we found out that their manager had run off with all of their money (like in "Fashion Parade" Misty's, by the way), comments like, "This is the song that made us all millionaires" (about Slight Return) seemed even more poignant. They're still very good at what they do, but they're not fashionable. I still love them. I bought a t-shirt and three badges. Well, the manager has run off their money. They need all the help they can get.
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