Venue:
Town Hall, Birmingham
Date: 11/05/2017
A mere 44 years on from when I saw them last, I and a load of folk of questionable age assembled to see how this particular band was weathering it’s half century. And the answer, notwithstanding only one original member still standing, is not half bad. And not entirely good, but getting there. Gary Brooker is, of course, the man, and, looking a bit like a Buster Merryweather a week or so into growing his beard, both in looks and demeanour, played a corker. His voice, surely up there amongst the great of UK rock vocalists, along with Cocker and Rodgers, is undiminished, higher notes and all, his piano tinkling more overt than on record.
Kicking off with a track from the new album, Novum, all promised well, especially with the next song being a beautiful ‘Homburg’, for me a superior song to that song, see later. And so the first half, interspersing old with new. A particular highlight was ‘Strong as Samson’, the glorious back swirl of organ unmistakeable, even if Fisher begat Copping begat, currently Josh Phillips. Guitar, and apparently for decades is Geoff Whitehorn, erstwhile of Back Street Crawler and Roger Chapman’s Shortlist, a gurner exemplar, but some tasty licks and textures where songs needed a slightly less vintage sheen. Matt (son of Dave) Pegg on bass and Geoff Dunn on drums brought in a hefty and incisive rhythm section, Dunn being a name on nearly any 80s pop success you can recall and, whilst no BJ Wilson, at times reproduced those cross-rhythmic excesses so beloved of that much missed thumper. ‘A Salty Dog’ was the closer for act 1, and a fitting one; a grand night thus far,
The second half was less my taste, I confess, with more songs from the new album and some lesser sung from older, but this time the crap ones: sadly the quality control of their recording tend to be some absolute belters and some absolute pants. This was the pants side, with ghastly and dated wig-outs on guitar. Within this I include the travesty of ‘Grand Hotel’, milked here for all it’s humour, always entirely missed on me. Just I was beginning to despair, a fabulous ‘Conquistador’ restored normal service, followed by what must be the stand out new song, the terrific ‘the Only One’. All too quickly that was it, with the by now standard grouping in the centre of the stage, receiving the applause, rather than the pretence of leaving. Back to instruments and it was, it had to be, that song, as referred to earlier. And it was sublime, with piano and guitar solos where there aren’t any on the single, tastefully and sensitively extending the joy. Phillips cut more mustard on his keyboard, and the room was in his hands. Did I say ‘Homburg” was a better song? I was wrong, the AWSOPHMs proving their calibre beyond doubt.
The audience:
Mature would do it, I think, from ancient hippies to besuited pillars of their respective career, at least before retirement beckoned. (So, that’s me, then……)
Nice early start meant for a nice early finish, done and dusted by 10.
It made me think..
Only Town Hall? I would like to see and hear them in a full Symphony Hall, but the gaps, OK not that many, made me fear that ain’t going to happen.
So pleased you reviewed this. They are probably my favourite band after the obvious giants, and I’m SO looking forward to receiving my copy of the new one, and am thus heartened to hear that you consider at least one of the tracks to be up there with their best. Overlooked and ignored by many for far too long; the listener’s loss due in part to the long shadow cast by ‘that’ song. I love ’em.
I prefer Shine on Brightly myself. Did they pull that one out of the archive?
Great review. Wish I’d been there.
“A Salty Dog” is a magnificent song; I am awaiting delivery from Amazon of this DVD for less than the cost of two pints in my local pub.
Just bought tickets for Sunday in Nottingham. Excited!
However, they were considerably more than the cost of two pints in my local pub . . .
They came in at about 10 pints of those “craft” ales (that are on the taps) for me, or nearly 10 bottles of UBU as purchased at the venue. I had 2 as I was driving, one before, one at half time.
I’d almost forgotten about the Harum, at least as a live band. I saw them a couple of times in 73/74, might have been about the time the Live At Edmonton LP was around. Back then they were kinrd of has-beens in a way, a throwback to the sixties (all of 4 years ago), before we all got older and became the Mojo audience.
Anyway great review, will revisit them and check out this new one