Filling out HMV picture house with shimmering excitement, sometime chart-toppers The Charlatans entered to an ecstatic reception. They played their number one-selling and most highly-acclaimed album ‘Telling Stories’ in full, from track one to track twelve, celebrating its 15th anniversary. They also embellished their set with hits like ‘Weirdo’, ‘Blackened Blue Eyes’ and ‘The Only One I Know’ from other albums.
The bandmates, despite being in their 40s, looked the part almost as much as they did in their heyday. Tim Burgess, the Madchester icon, combated any visual signs of ageing by flaunting a full mop of dyed blonde hair. He and the rest of the band were stylishly dressed and looked the part. As a group they had an energetic, youthful stage presence and their sound hasn’t diminished at all.
The best moments came were when they played their better-known songs; in the encore, their pop hit ‘The Only One I Know’, received a rapturous response. The audience pogoed in the mosh pit and crowd-surfed. The band was loving it too: Burgess exclaimed, ‘It just gets better!’
Not all tracks were so frantic. The stripped down acoustic ‘You’re a Big Girl Now’ sounded raw and heartfelt, reflecting The Charlatans’ fine songwriting craft. The Madchester scene was a really exciting time for British music scene in the early 1990s and with performances like this, it is easy to see why it created such a buzz. It doesn’t seem to be fading fast.
