It has been a few years since I have seen the Waterboys live but they have always put on a good show and tonight was no different. Mike’s voice is stilling great nick and they covered the best known songs from their back catalogue as well as a large chunk of the new album.
The new stuff sounded better than it does on the album thanks to Mike’s storytelling which gives some context to otherwise basic songs.
I have seen them over 15 times and this would be in my top 5 of those performances, well worth a ticket if you get the chance.
Setlist:
A Pagan Place
Glastonbury Song
How Long Will I Love You?
Medicine Bow
When Ye Go Away
This Is the Sea
Kansas (Steve Earle video)
Live in the Moment, Baby
The Tourist
Andy (A Guy Like You)
Blues for Terry Southern
Hopper’s On Top (Genius)
Transcendental Peruvian Blues
Michelle (Always Stay)
Letter From An Unknown Girlfriend
Ten Years Gone
I Don’t Know How I Made It
Golf, They Say
The Passing Of Hopper
Don’t Bang the Drum
A Girl Called Johnny
Spirit
The Pan Within
Encore:
The Whole of the Moon
Wasted Sunset
(Barny Fletcher cover)
Fisherman’s Blues
My chum was at that, front and centre. He was still raving about it when I saw him at the Folk Club on Friday, where we saw some chancer called Boo Hewerdine. I didn’t go because tightwad.
The Bible got signed to Ensign because Mike Scott had seen them, so there was some circularity.
The Bible are the great lost band of the 1980s.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard The Bible. Heard of them yes I now think that I’ll be checking them out. Bit of Waterboys influence in that song and that’s good.
The Waterboys clip was great @Wheaty thanks.
Graceland is wonderful
There were only two albums, plus a third released about a decade after the short reunion. All are available from Boo Hewerdine’s website.
His solo stuff is absolutely ace as well. He is also super live – especially if he treats you to his Elvis Costello cheese anecdote.
I can only confirm that he’s great live, and that I should spend more time listening to his albums. Somebody who seems to have kept getting better and better over the years.
Saw them in Brum where the settlers did change its order and one song. They started with Fishermans Blues and Be my enemy replaced When you away.
Big fan of the two keyboards and Steve Wickham wasn’t really missed.
Have to say Brother Paul is as mad as a box of frogs.
Saw them in York. They’re becoming a bit like The Fall – always different, always the same. But unlike The Fall, they never, ever disappoint. I love the new material anyway, but I thought the presentation really enhanced the songs. I was on the front row, and aside from Brother Paul’s unhinged antics, seeing James Hellawell’s work on the keyboards close up was a real privilege.
I last saw them at Wickham maybe three years ago but I found them a bit too rock for me and Brother Paul quite annoying. Not sure I need to see them again, the Fisherman’s Box tour was a highlight for me.
Good set list by the way.
Me too (and we met). I agree with your opinion. Too much stadium, too little Spiddal. James Hellawell is good player, but all eyes are on the loon on the organ.
We did indeed meet. I think I owe you a pint next time.
Saw them last night night in Stockton, first time for years although l have seen them numerous times back in the day. Must say it went way beyond my expectations and was one of the best gigs l’ve been to for some while. Well worth the money, pleased that so many old favourites were performed. and loved the new Dennis Hopper songs As a bonus, Barney Fletcher (on some backing vocals and sang his own song at the end) was new to me but magnificent.
Saw them last night night in Stockton, first time for years although l have seen them numerous times back in the day. Must say it went way beyond my expectations and was one of the best gigs l’ve been to for some while. Well worth the money, pleased that so many old favourites were performed. and loved the new Dennis Hopper songs As a bonus, Barney Fletcher (on some backing vocals and sang his own song ‘Wasted Sunset’ at the end) was new to me but magnificent.
Thanks for the review, Uncle Wheaty.
I haven’t seen the Waterboys since December 1989 (yikes!), but I do have a ticket to see them in November this year in Stockholm, in the company of Kaisfatdad. I’m looking forward to the gig, and the positive views of the current UK tour have certainly whetted my appetite. Also going to the gig in Stockholm is a mutual friend of ours who knows the Waterboys’ keyboardman Brother Paul. He usually goes backstage at their gigs to hang out with the band afterwards.
I’d probably be too shy to speak to Mike Scott if I saw him, but I’d like to tell him that the Waterboys’ gig at Chippenham Golddiggers on 4 May 1986 is forever imprinted in my memory as one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever witnessed. A rare night – there was magic in the air, and the band and the audience were as one.
1986 is the peak year for The Waterboys delivering the Big Music.
I saw them at Milton Keynes Bowl that summer as second on the bill to Simple Minds and it is in my list of the best 3 gigs I have ever see.
Caught them at Manchester Bridgewater Hall when I was recently back in the UK to see Bruce S’s tour opener at the CoOp Arena the following night.
Fifth time for Mike and the boys (and ninth for Bruce). Neither act have ever done a dud show that I’ve seen. Best WBs gig I saw was in Carrick on Shannon in – IIRC – 2019. ~Tiny venue – about 700 people – absolutely magnificent eveningt.
Really enjoyed the Manchester show, but found Bridgewater Hall a tad sterile for a rock gig
I saw The Waterboys for the first time at The Gallery in Manchester in 1984. Mike Scott mentions the gig in his book I’ll leave it at that.
It’s piqued my interest too and I’m due a Jolly Boys weekend so will check out tour dates.
I saw them at Highbury Fields on the Room to Roam tour. A massive disappointment as it was in their fol-de-rol finger in the ear stage and very little Big Music.
Wasn’t that the tour where he’d fired all the fol-de-rollers and was left with a rock four piece trying to promote a West Coast (of Ireland) work of whimsy? It *was* quite disappointing (the Kick Horns-enhanced WOTM aside) and I seem to remember Anto doing quite a lot of the heavy lifting, but Setlist.fm suggests that at least half the set was ‘big’.
Hmm, not sure. Thought it was very definitely a tour of fol-de-rollers promoting Room to Roam. I just remember being massively disappointed. You have a link to set list fm at all? I’ll cross reference it to my ticket to make sure we’re on the right gig!
Edit. Blimey. You’re absolutely correct. That’s not a bad set list at all. I can only imagine they played all the Big Music songs in a fol-de-rol stylee. That or my memory is well and truly goosed.
Glad I missed that one!
We saw them 4 times on the 1990 tour the first night at Preston. We were a bit disappointed with the rock band presentation of the music at the first show but at Liverpool and Manchester knowing what to expect helped and both shows were enjoyable. I remember going to Wales for another gig on the same tour but whether it was north or south I cannot remember.
You’ve given me a dilemma here – Your review has tempted me.
I could still get a ticket to see them at The Roundhouse in London next Sunday, but it’s The Roundhouse.
The sound isn’t the best but moreover it’s the risk of being surrounded by a highly obnoxious Roundhouse audience where talking loudly to your mates is more important than listening to the band and letting other people listen to the band.
Bloody hell, it sounds like they’ve relocated the Roundhouse to Dublin
Personally, I’d grab a ticket, go early and stand as far away from the bar as I possibly could
Perusing their set list history. I absolutely love this track but they’ve only ever played it 5 times live.
If I had that song in my catalog, I’d open every gig with it – it’s brilliant.
I saw them once only here in Ottawa about 6 years ago. They were good not great, I seem to remember The Whole of the Moon was a bit of a disappointment, live it didn’t approach how great it is on record. Not a favourite venue (Bronson Centre) so that didn’t help. Brother Paul was extremely annoying
The first few times I saw them Mike sat down at an electric piano and dashed off a pretty perfunctory version of Moon.
The couple of times I’ve seen them since Steve W left they’ve given the song a bit more ooommph
Yeah he was on piano and Steve W was still with them
If you’re a musician and are going to watch The Waterboys, always check their wiki page before travelling – you might be in the lineup.
Pro tip: if you need a gig, just edit the page.
I think I’m right in saying they’ve now had more members than the Fall.
Caused me much merriment when Mike S did his first solo album…
…and now they have Brother Paul, a right member if ever there was one.
I’m going to have to retire my “Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of The Blue Aeroplanes?” t-shirt.
Pretty sure they have had at least half of the same musicians.
Also I just learned that Ian McNobb has been a Waterboy, either chancing it on keyboards or bass I believe. (rather than an instrument he’s actually good at.)
Weirdly they seem to let people ‘have a go’ on the bass more often than having a stable member of the band.
They had 10 different lineups in 1985. 10!
I saw the Waterboys with McNobb on bass once or twice. I also saw McNobb & some of Crazy Horse do Glastonbury Song with Mike Scott at Glasto in (apparently) 1994.
Scott: (starry eyed) something about the mighty pipes of pan and the green of Galway.
McNobb: (glassy eyed) thanks for the money, Mike!
It was indeed apparently 1994, and jolly good it was too. Scott also joined Sharon Shannon during her set in the acoustic tent, to play the same song.
McNabb was also the bassist for the solo Scott tour, where Scott was support to Sheryl Crow. That was a good night, too.
I had no idea he even did a solo tour. Quite a good combo with Sheryl Crow actually.
I saw him solo in the Acoustic Tent at Glasto in 1994 or 95, before his solo album came out. It was very good. Ditto Glenn Tilbrook.
I’ve never been that convinced by Glenn playing solo, it’s great fun, but something about his character in that situation feels a bit off… over-confident..? I don’t know. I love Squeeze dearly, but… dunno.