Johnny, Gaz – and the light that never goes out
IT was a superb double header at Rock City on Sunday night when Johnny Marr made a stop on his Spirit Power Tour to celebrate ten years of his solo career with special guest Gaz Coombes, frontman of Britpop icons Supergrass.
Also promoting his latest album, Turn The Car Around, Coombes took to the stage with his band for a fabulous version of Salamander followed by new song Don’t Say It’s Over.
There was the infectious Feel Loop (Lizard Dream), a thumping Long Live The Strange, which had one of the best responses of the evening, while The Girl Who Fell To Earth was a jaw-dropping tearjerker about his daughter.
Deep Pockets and closer Walk The Walk were absolute highlights in an electrifying ten-song set which warmed the crowd nicely.
Johnny Marr is a British rock icon who required little introduction as the former Smiths guitarist.
He delivered a set that not only showcased his solo material but also celebrated the four short years of The Smiths, along with a couple of Electronic songs.
Opening with a swaggering Sensory Street, Marr proved he is undoubtedly a great guitarist who has reinvented himself as a really good frontman and, as the first sing along came with the opening bars of The Smiths’ Panic, the crowd were transported back to the 80s as he absolutely smashed the solo. There was a boisterous Generate! Generate! and the classic New Town Velocity, regarded as Marr’s career high, while the riff of This Charming Man never fails to ignite a crowd. Electronic’s Get The Message and a great version of Getting Away With it were intermingled with the truly moving Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want and Marr’s recent single Somewhere.
Bigmouth Strikes Again and How Soon Is Now? had the crowd singing along before a rollicking cover of Iggy Pop favourite The Passenger began the encore, for which Coombes joined Marr.
To finish there was an urgent You Just Haven’t Earned it Yet Baby and glorious crowd pleaser There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, for which the legendary Mancunian had pulled out all the stops.