Spears still as sharp as ever
SPEAR OF DESTINY AT THE CLUNY BY MICK BURGESS
THIRTY five years on and the seminal One Eyed Jacks album still defines the career of Spear Of Destiny. An album that resonated widely with students and the Alternative/Gothic movement at the time, still sounds stunning to this very day with lyrics that have retained their potency and relevance so many years later.
As part of a tour based on that landmark release, Spear Of Destiny arrived in Newcastle to a sold-out Cluny to play the whole album from start to finish in its original running order.
Rainmaker and Liberator, guaranteed floor fillers at student nights back in the day, have long been staples of the live set, but never grow old, and still manage to evoke a mini riot as soon as they start.
Kirk Brandon’s voice remains a formidable force, powerful and emotive; whether on the military stomp of All You Young Men or the Reggae-flavoured Everything You Ever Want, it never wavered.
Brandon has assembled arguably the strongest line-up yet featuring former Sisters of Mercy/The Cult bassist Craig Adams, Adrian Portas from New Model Army on guitar and Phil Martini on drums, whose credits include Quireboys, Wayward Sons and Jim Jones and The Righteous Minds.
Not only that, but for this tour the band was augmented by adding keyboardist Steve Allan Jones and Theatre Of Hate saxophonist Clive Osborne, ensuring the songs were performed as they were originally.
Rarely played songs such as Attica and Forbidden Planet thrilled longstanding fans, but the moment of the night came with Playground of the Rich, a bold, dramatic song featuring a rasping sax solo from Osborne.
As well as the full album, there was even time to squeeze in a couple of B-sides in the form of the Gospel chant of Rosie and the 1984 version of Grapes of Wrath.
A six-song encore saw a spirited overview of Spear Of Destiny from the very start (The Wheel) to their latest Tontine album (Medievalists, Mr Livingstone I Presume) as well as a couple of other classics from their back catalogue, including World Service. The success of this tour might just spark the idea for a tour to celebrate the 35th anniversary of World Service next year...