Nights like last night don’t come any better than that for
me. A night whereby I can witness two of my fave bands of all time, Romeos Daughter and FM. A sight and sound I never ever thought I would witness again
on the exact same stage and bill.
In fact I felt like Marty McFly! I’d just stepped into my
DeLorean (well its a Passat really), hit 88 miles an hour, and planted myself
firmly in 1987! Even some of the hairstyles were still in vogue from that era.
You know who you are!
Entering onto the stage to rapturous applause from the Manchester
crowd, FM could do no wrong. They were in town to support 25years of
'Indiscreet', their debut and definitely their most worshipped album. They were
here to play the whole Goddamn thing!
With no fuss, FM went straight into ‘That Girl’, a song so
good it was once covered by Iron Maiden! (cue the first of many goosebumps). ‘Other Side Of Midnight’ followed, and I sware that if you closed your eyes, it
was 1987 all over again! Only this time, Chris Overland looked a little like
Yngwie Malmsteens younger (and thinner) brother. Without harping on too much, classic
followed classic, and the highlights for me were, ‘I Belong To The Night’, a song
I've loved live as it just kicks ass compared to the album version; ‘American
Girl’ a song which should have sent FM to the US and mega stardom; ‘Face to
Face’ complete with obligatory audience participation – If you don’t know this
song, you're not allowed to buy a ticket, and the classic ‘Frozen Heart’. A special guest was in attendance for an added surprise on 'Heart Of The Matter'. Yes people, for one night only, back from a recent tour of Neptune and Pluto,
Mr Didge Digital. For when you think its never too much to have one keytar, FM
sported two (yes TWO!). That was special indeed! And it was great to see Didge back on the same stage - cue a sea of mobile phones to capture the occasion.
If you thought just listening to 'Indiscreet' was enough (I'd
have gone home ecstatic at this point), what was about to follow made this an
FM gig of a lifetime. FM camped their set firmly in the 'Indiscreet' and 'Tough It Out' era.
The second half opened with ‘Dangerous’, which only ever appeared live in the
early days, and ‘Let Love Be The Leader’. ‘Tough It Out’ was up next, and
Overland had me at ‘Whoa-o-oh’. This album should have sent FM stratospheric,
and the remainder of the set was ‘T.I.O-tastic’.
‘Dont Stop’, and ‘Does
It Feel Like Love’ followed, before classics ‘Bad Luck’ and ‘Burning My Heart
Down’ complete with Jupp’s obligatory dance moves, closed off the set. FM
returned for ‘Hot Legs’, a song that they made their own 20-odd years ago and was a perfect finale.
In Steve Overland, FM have one of the finest singers ever to
grace a stage. Put this together with the mighty rhythm section of Messers Jupp
and Goldsworthy, master ivory tinkler Jem Davis, and the best guitarist I've
seen play for FM with a fire and passion like Jim Kirkpatrick, it all makes for
one special formula, and one very special night.
FM don’t play to fans, they play to family and friends, as
its rare to see a bond like this between the two. Everyone sang, everyone went
home 100% ecstatic. The song selection (and performance) was unparalleled. A
point stated as I chatted to friends after the show.
This was the best FM gig I have witnessed in over 20 years
of seeing the guys, and I say this on great authority as I must have seen them
20 times over the years. If you were lucky to witness this short tour then you
caught a very special night indeed. I’ve never had goosebumps so many times in
one night, even two hours later. After a sing-a-long night like last night, my
voice is totally buggered. Absolutely fantastic.
Set List -
Intro - Pink Panther Theme
That Girl
Other Side Of Midnight
Love Lies Dying
I Belong To The Night
American Girl
Hot Wired
Face To Face
Frozen Heart
Heart Of The Matter
Dangerous
Let Love Be The Leader
Tough It Out
Don't Stop
Does It Feel Like Love
Bad Luck
Burning My Heart Down
Hot Legs
Set List -
Intro - Pink Panther Theme
That Girl
Other Side Of Midnight
Love Lies Dying
I Belong To The Night
American Girl
Hot Wired
Face To Face
Frozen Heart
Heart Of The Matter
Dangerous
Let Love Be The Leader
Tough It Out
Don't Stop
Does It Feel Like Love
Bad Luck
Burning My Heart Down
Hot Legs
I think the above says it all !!!
ReplyDeleteGreat review for a fantastic gig, i travelled from nottingham to manchester and im soooooooooo glad i did, polished performances from all bands nice venue and for a long time fan what a setlist jim and jem seem like they were in this band from the start now.
ReplyDeleteThanks again guys for a great night one that will not be forgotten for a very long time.
Andre ( Nottingham )