BRITISH SEA POWER @ LEEDS IRISH CENTRE 23 JAN 2008

Two word review: "Missing Woody". There's no such thing as a bad BSP gig in my book - and this was far from a bad gig - but it was, well, tame. With drummer Woody injured, Tom from Electric Soft Parade/Brakes was taking his place with a week's notice or so. So all credit due for filling in at such short notice but it just wasn't the same.


The first three songs - including Remember Me - just came and went without making an impact. Should have been a barnstorming opening but felt a bit under-powered. In part a quiet crowd. Things did pick up - songs that worked well on this night were Waving Flags and The Great Skua - and Abi on violin and Phil on cornet/keyboards definitely were adding something. But overall a bit more drive and bite was needed.



Noble went crowd-surfing during the encores. Phil (in Heath-Ledger-as-the-Joker-makeup tribute?) leapt off the highest speaker stack and I think fell flat on the floor. He was certainly down a long time with a circle of anxious faces peering at him. Noble helped him up and off but all I could see was a woman's open-mouthed horror-struck face watching proceedings whilst holding his next-size-up-from-cornet-but-not-a-tuba brass instrument. At end of gig there was blood on the floor at this spot. Hope he is OK for the rest of the tour...


Irish Centre was a 800 capacity ballroom with 'lounge' area slightly raised above the ballroom area. High ceiled, wide square area before the large-ish stage. Worked well as a gig venue. Support was from Make Model, six-piece from Glasgow. I'd heard comparisons made to The Delgados but there were much more to the 'twee' side of things. Played well but nothing really stood out for me.

Expecting more of BSP on Sunday in Manchester....


The set list:
Lights Out For Darker Skies

Atom

Remember Me
Canvey Island

Down On The Ground
How Will I Ever Find My Way Home?
Blackout
Waving Flags
The Great Skua
Please Stand Up
Fear of Drowning
Favours In The Beetroot Fields
Spirit of St Louis
Open The Door
A Trip Out
No Lucifer
----
True Adventures

Carrion

Rock in A