The greatest gigs of the year
HERE IS THE SECOND PART OF OUR TOP 2017 GIGS
BEEN to any gigs in 2017? Today, in the second of a two-part special, we pick out our gigs of the year between July and December in and around Newcastle.
We’ve limited it to one gig per month, so obviously many of your own (and our) favourites might not be mentioned.
Let us know, though, which gigs you most enjoyed this year. Here is our pick, with an excerpt from our review of each concert.
JULY Little Mix, Durham County Cricket Club, Chester-le-Street
When it comes to getting a good reception, the North East must be up there as the best for Little Mix.
Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall are considered pop royalty in these parts and the whole group can pretty much do no wrong.
And on Saturday night the foursome ticked another North East venue off their list when they performed to a sellout crowd at the Riverside Durham County Cricket ground.
Despite downpours throughout the day, the rain managed to stay away for the gig. And the girls put on some show - if it was quite short.
The girls know they have something special and please don’t change it keep on coming back up north to entertain us - just stay for longer next time.
AUGUST Manic Street Preachers, Times Square, Newcastle
The word anthem is banded around a bit too freely but if there’s a band who can proudly declare their songs are exactly that it’s Manic Street Preachers.
And while many of the indie darlings of the mid-90s Britpop movement proved to be flashes in the plan, the Manics are still going strong to this day, which meant those present for their Live From Times Square appearance were witness to a slice of musical greatness.
Technically it would be wrong to hang the Britpop tag on the Welsh wonders as they were around before then and their Newcastle set encapsulated a career’s worth of killer songs.
Manic Street Preachers are still musicians at the very top of their game and as for James’ voice it’s still one of the best and most distinctive in the business.
He told the Newcastle crowd they were “10 out of 10”, unfortunately I’ve only got five stars to give but it’s top marks all round.
‘You Love Us?’ We sure do, lads!
SEPTEMBER Pet Shop Boys, Sage Gateshead
We were in the mosh pit .... at a Pet Shop Boys concert .... yes, you did read that correctly!
And what a place to be! Super, to be precise!
The Pet Shop Boys returned to Sage Gateshead at the weekend for two shows on their Super tour and, for me, having seen the duo numerous times over the years, this latest outing tops all that has gone before.
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe deliver a show to be proud of and have the majority of the audience on their feet
from the off. This is a tour through the entire Pet Shop Boys career, right up to last year’s Super album, with a smattering of tracks from that collection sitting nicely with the hits we have grown to love – and never tire of – over the past three decades.
The audience (including myself) is largely of a certain age and for me, in that mosh pit, it was at times like stepping back to the clubs of the 80s and 90s all over again. Sheer bliss.
We are, after all, The Pop Kids, as the lead off single from Super states. It is fitting that a reprise of that number ends the show.
OCTOBER Emeli Sande, Metro Radio Arena
Despite moving to Scotland at an early age, Sande made references to being born in Wearside – to a typically mixed (but warm-hearted) reaction in the Toon.
There were cheers and the obligatory football rivalry boos, but when she explained she had family members that supported Newcastle too she soon won the crowd back (not that they had ever REALLY left in the first place!).
An hour into the concert she appeared in the middle of the area on a raised piano stage for a stripped back set where she mesmerised with the likes of Clown, River and Read All About It.
This section was emotional and beautifully intense and created an intimate atmosphere in the vastness of the arena. The crowd were so still and engaged in her voice.
It was then back to the main stage for the finale of the likes of Highs and Lows and Next to Me, by which time everyone was on their feet dancing along.
The gig was pure, musical class from start to finish and was all about Emeli Sande’s amazing voice. And boy did she deliver.
NOVEMBER Bananarama Newcastle City Hall
It Ain’t What You Do It’s The Way That You Do It – and never was a song title more apt than at Bananarama’s Newcastle City Hall gig.
It was the tour no-one thought could ever happen. No-one thought could ever DARE happen!
The original Bananarama line-up on stage and hitting the road together for the first time .... almost three decades on from the departure of Siobhan.
But here we were. Newcastle City Hall packed to the rafters to watch the trio, who scored countless hits in the 80s, back together and, dare I say it, better than ever!
To be honest, this was a bucket-list moment for me. Bananarama have always been the cool `girl group.’ They’ve always done it their way.
We had waited three decades for this and it was more than worth the wait. Bananarama are at the top of their game even after all these years – if anything, it is right we had to wait until now for this.
They seem to be in such a place now that I doubt they could have pulled it off quite like this first time around.
Cheers Then – and, cheesy as it sounds (and they did call the song cheesy) I Want You Back!
Thanks for one of the most enjoyable nights of the year.